The One Where
by heystrippah
Summary: A collection of all my Klaroline one-shots as posted over at the magical land called Tumblr.
1. The One Where She Persuades Him

**The One Where She Persuades Him**

Elijah Mikaelson was not a man who liked to ask for help, but as he entered his brother's home he knew that that was exactly what he would have to do.

He ventured into the enormous living room where he was greeted by the sight of Caroline dancing around in what looked suspiciously like a negligee, headphones in her ears and singing along to a song Elijah didn't recognize. Watching her flail around Elijah was, as always, struck by the fact that this was the young vampire that had captured his volatile brother's eye and, eventually, his heart. This little fluff of a thing who went out of her way to save human lives and befriended werewolves – her natural enemy -, this was the girl that had pulled his brother back from the precipice of pure evil he had teetered on for over 1000 years. That wasn't to say Klaus didn't still have a wicked temper, but he wasn't lost or alone and it made a notable difference.

Caroline danced around in a half circle when she finally saw him there.

"Jeez, you almost gave me a heart attack." Caroline pulled the headphones from her ears and placed a hand on her chest. It didn't matter that she couldn't actually have a heart attack, the stealthy way Elijah entered a room still startled her from time to time.

"Klaus isn't here, but I can call him for you." Caroline put down her Ipod and reached for her phone before Elijah cut her off.

"I didn't come for Niklaus, I came to talk to you." Elijah spoke, crossing his arms behind his back.

Caroline paused and cocked her head to the side. She liked Elijah and, thanks to her, the entire Mikaelson family had family dinners once a month but she couldn't imagine why Elijah would come to see just her.

Elijah took in her confused look and continued, "I need to ask a favor of you, Caroline."

"Okay, shoot." Caroline dropped down onto the couch and watched as Elijah walked over to the fireplace.

"I need Niklaus to do something he won't like at all and I need you to convince him to do it."

"What makes you think he'll listen to me?"

Elijah shot her a look. "Caroline, dear, you have to know the influence you have over him."

So she's heard time and time again, but Caroline still didn't buy it. Either way, Elijah had never asked her for anything and she wanted to help so, "well, what do you need him to do?"

"I need him to pardon someone."

Caroline held in a giggle at the word 'pardon'. He made it sound like Nik was a king which, she guessed, he was to much of the vampire population. But she didn't see him that way – he was just Nik.

"It's Katherine."

At the sound of that name any urge she had to laugh disappeared.

"What?" She asked, standing up to face him.

"I've found Katherine." Elijah said calmly. He'd been looking for her for decades but she'd become quite skilled at outrunning the original family. Nevertheless, he'd found her in Montreal. He knew instinctively that if he made himself known she'd only slip through his fingers again and he couldn't let that happen. But if he got Klaus' word that no harm would come to her, Elijah could go to Katherine. Klaus was many things but he would never break his word. He always felt that if a man didn't have his word then he had nothing. Without a guarantee of her safety, Katherine would never be with Elijah, no matter how much she loved him. And Elijah knew she loved him because he remembered their time together as if it had been yesterday and not centuries ago. He remembered the loving spark in her eye, her affectionate caresses – he remembered it all and he knew a love like that couldn't die.

"Are you kidding me?" Caroline's voice pulled him back to the present.

"No, Caroline, I don't kid."

"Katherine. As in Katherine, Katherine?"

"Do you know another?"

"Are you insane?" Caroline asked, shock still coursing through her.

"I know you must think the worst of her. She's malicious, treacherous, conniving. But she wasn't always that way," Elijah spoke contemplatively. "As a human she was," he paused and Caroline got the distinct feeling he was reliving his past, "she was brilliant. She was sly and charming and she had a way about her – when she walked into the room you could almost feel the spark of her presence on your fingertips."

"Right." Caroline nodded curtly. "But this is Katherine we're talking about. The same Katherine that tortured my friends and murdered me! Like, pillow to the face murdered me!" Caroline waved her arms around to emphasize her point.

"Katherine's a survivor. I make no excuses for her methods but all that she's done, she's done for the sake of survival."

The look on Caroline's face showed she didn't care and Elijah held in a sigh. He needed her cooperation; no one else would be able to persuade Klaus.

"Caroline, you have Niklaus and you've lived more of your vampire life with him than without him. You can't imagine what it's like. Eternity is a long time to face alone, made even more unbearable if you're plagued by the memories of what was and cursed with the images of what could have been."

Caroline subconsciously sucked in a breath. Sometimes she forgot Elijah was a man of a different century and his eloquence could be overwhelming. The flowery language almost had her rooting for him. Almost.

"Okay well, there is no way in hell Nik is going to go for this." Caroline crossed her arms and shook her head.

"Don't underestimate your hold on him Caroline."

"Where is she?" She asked tentatively.

Elijah shook his head slightly. "Caroline if I told you, you'd feel obligated to tell Niklaus – a loyalty that impresses but not a risk I'm willing to take."

"Fine, well –"

Elijah cut her off, placing a finger over his lips before pointing towards the door.

A second later she heard Nik enter the house and make his way over to the living room. Elijah and Caroline shared a look before Nik sauntered into the room.

Klaus looked between the two before turning to his brother. "Elijah, a less secure man than myself might become enraged at the sight of you here and Caroline in her underwear." He spoke, a hint of fury brewing in his tone. So he was a jealous man – to his way of thinking it was completely justified; Caroline was remarkable and every man who met her could potentially be out to steal her from him.

"I came to deliver a recipe for next week's dinner. I'll take my leave now." Elijah nodded at the two, his gaze lingering an extra moment on Caroline before walking off.

Klaus moved over to Caroline, taking her in his arms. "Love, it'd be nice if you didn't meet company in your underwear," he fingered the lacy negligee and tried to curb his anger at his brother seeing Caroline this way.

"He caught me off guard." She replied before kissing away his worries that she could ever want anyone but him.

Klaus sank onto the sofa and she straddled his lap, bringing his lips back to hers. His hands gripped her waist and she sighed against his lips before pulling away. Elijah was right, she had Nik; she didn't know what is was like to face eternity alone. Damn his heartfelt pleas.

"Elijah found Katherine." Caroline muttered, dropping her eyes to his chest.

Klaus took a millisecond to process what she said before speaking. "Where is she?" he growled.

"He didn't tell me." She peeked up and saw the rage clouding his eyes. "He loves her." Caroline continued, getting it all out in the open at once.

"I'm going to dagger him, hunt her down and kill her." Klaus rumbled, moving to lift Caroline off his lap and go after his brother.

Caroline gripped his waist between her legs, keeping him from displacing her and standing up.

"Wait," she pushed him back against the sofa with a hand on his chest. "Didn't you hear what I said? He loves her."

"I don't care. That bitch has been a thorn in my side for centuries. I should have ripped her throat out when I had the chance." Klaus growled.

"Hey now, trust me I have every reason to hate her too but we have to consider Elijah here. The man hasn't gone on so much as a date in decades because he's been pinning for her. What if it were you? What if we couldn't be together?" Caroline ran her fingers through his hair.

Klaus instinctively leaned into her touch before responding with "that is completely different."

"Okay look at it this way. Technically, if Katherine hadn't killed me, we wouldn't be together right now. So we owe her that. Technically."

Klaus leaned back at this revelation, his fingers tightening around her waist in anger. He had had no idea that Katherine had killed Caroline.

"So your defense of her is that she killed you?" Klaus spoke with barely controlled wrath.

In retrospect, Caroline thought, that was probably the wrong thing to say.

"I'm going to rip her throat out." Klaus made to stand again but Caroline gripped him between her legs, pushing him back with her hands again.

"The point is Elijah loves her in spite of everything she's done. And we want him to be as happy as we are, right?"

"Speak for yourself. I want him daggered and locked away for a few years as retribution for not coming to me immediately with Katherine's whereabouts."

"Okay then do it for me?" Caroline asked with a small smile, running her fingers down his chest.

"She murdered you. I should be killing her for you, not pardoning her for you."

"Please." Caroline whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck. "Please." Another kiss to the hollow spot on his throat. "Please, please, please" she sprinkled kisses across his collarbone, her tongue darting out to lick at his skin.

Klaus let out a groan and tilted his head back. He'd have to have a talk with Elijah about using Caroline to manipulate him.

"And if I do this for you what do I get in return?" Klaus pulled her face up to his and brushed his lips against hers.

Caroline tilted her head forward so their foreheads were touching. "I don't know; what do you want?" She murmured, his hand coming up to trace her lips.

Klaus smirked. There was one thing he wanted that she'd denied him time and time again. Caroline caught the look on his face and leaned back in his lap, a skeptical look on her face. Her expression went from confusion to recognition to determination.

"No." She shook her head.

Klaus was obsessed with getting Caroline to pose nude for a portrait. He'd hound her every few months to do it and her answer was always the same. Her mom had always warned her about the dangers of taking naked pictures. It didn't matter to Caroline if it was artistically painted or snapped with a cellphone, she was not some floozy who took naked pictures.

Klaus, however, didn't see it that way. To him, Caroline's body was the single most beautiful thing in the world and he wanted to paint her in all her bare glory. Preferably right after he'd made love to her and her body had that well-fucked glow to it, with that look of pure satiation on her face.

"Come now love. What about when word gets out that I've spared Katherine and people begin to think I've gone soft and they can cross me as they please?" Klaus wasn't actually concerned that that would happen. He had no qualms about proving his ruthlessness to the first person that thought to cross him.

"You're relentless." Caroline said, shaking her head in resignation.

Klaus simply raised one eyebrow and gave a half smile.

"Fine you have a deal."

Perfect, he thought to himself. Of course he would have done what she asked even if she hadn't agreed to his terms. What Caroline failed to realize is that he'd give her anything she wanted at the drop of a dime. When it came to her, it didn't really take much persuading.


	2. The One Where He Proposes to Her

**The One Where He Proposes to Her**

For a man who'd lived through the Romantic era- had loved the music, the art, the literature and the theater of the time- Klaus was not much of a romantic. Caroline would beg to differ, he knew. She'd point out all the small gestures he made to keep her happy but she didn't realize those gestures were more self-serving than anything because he loved to see her smile. Klaus was selfish when it came to Caroline's smiles, and greedy when it came to her melodic laugh. He couldn't get enough of those and that's why he did the things he did but make no mistake, Klaus was no romantic. Which made his current predicament that much harder.

He stood abruptly from his chair and paced over to the window. Pulling the ring from his pocket, he held it up in the sunlight. The beams of sun shot off the red emerald, causing a kaleidoscope effect around the room. The gem, one of the rarest in the world (rather like Caroline Klaus thought), was set in a silver band with smaller diamonds lining it. The ring had once belonged to a French monarch and was one of many stunning pieces Klaus had in his collection. It would look beautiful on Caroline. Come to think of it, all the pieces of invaluable jewelry he had would look stunning on Caroline. Maybe he'd shower her in gems. The image of Caroline lying naked on his silk sheets with nothing but priceless jewels on invaded Klaus' mind and he almost forgot just what he had retreated to the library to do.

With a sigh, Klaus began anew, determined to get this right.

"Caroline," he spoke to the empty room lined with bookshelves, "I've been alive for over a thousand years and"

Klaus paused. He already didn't like the cliché way that was going. He shook his head and began again.

"Caroline, by some sick twist of fate you've managed to embed yourself so deeply in my heart that I can't imagine how I lived a thousand years without you or how I could live another moment deprived of your infectious light. You've made it so I can't enter a room without seeking out your scent or sleep at night without your luscious body next to mine."

No, too needy. Klaus let out a frustrated growl. He should have taken Elijah up on his offer to help. Words were failing him and he could use Elijah's timeless eloquence at the moment.

"Caroline," he began again, "you're beautiful and captivating. Warm and brilliant. Smart. Funny. Loving. Loyal. Living proof that perfection exists. Marry me." Klaus decided that it wouldn't be a question. He wouldn't lose her on the principle of letting her choose.

Caroline, who on any other given day would have no success in sneaking up on Klaus, felt her throat close up and tears well in her eyes. It was the soft whimper that came after that gave her away.

Klaus shot up from his spot perched on the old oak desk and dashed over to Caroline.

"How much of that did you hear?" He asked, instinctively wrapping his arms around her waist.

"You think I'm beautiful?" She looked up at him, winding her arms around his neck.

"I think you're radiant." Klaus leaned in closer to her, their lips brushing.

"And captivating?"

"Positively enchanting." He ran his lips along her neck.

"And warm?"

"Astonishingly so." His lips traced her ear now.

He was astounded that she even had to ask. He'd have to work harder on burying her self-esteem issues from her human days. He'd remind her of just how precious she was every hour of every day.

"So," He spoke, bringing his lips back to hers.

"So what?" She chuckled against his lips. "You haven't asked me anything yet."

"It was never a question love." He replied, smoothly sliding the ring onto her finger.

"Perfect fit." Caroline beamed up at him, holding her hand up to admire the ring.

Klaus too stared at the ring on her delicate little finger and thought to himself that he really would like to see her in nothing but priceless jewelry and set off to make that fantasy a reality.


	3. The One Where He Watches Her

**The One Where He Watches Her**

It was a game they played every few decades when their paths would cross. Not that the crossing of their paths was completely coincidental. Klaus kept tabs on Caroline. He knew where she was, who she was with, what she was doing – and she knew that he knew. But every once in a while, he'd drop in and check on her himself. Just to see for himself that the young vampire, his own personal goddess, was alive and well. Most of these times, he'd leave her be. Maybe they'd share a cup of coffee or just a glance across a crowded plaza.

But sometimes, and he lived for these times, sometimes she'd be in the mood to play. Tonight was one of those times. It was a crowded club in Madrid and Klaus knew the moment she realized he was there. It was in the way she played to him- a toss of her shiny blonde hair, a sway to her hips as she raised one arm in the air and ran her fingers slowly down it before finally peeking up and catching his eyes with that coy smile in place.

Klaus smirked as he leaned back in his booth, eyes never leaving her. He cradled a drink in his hand while he watched her sway to the music. A leggy brunette slid into the booth beside him and he dismissed her with one look before turning back to Caroline, careful not to lose her in the crowd. The night carried on like this for hours. Women would make their way over to him only to be turned away as he watched and waited for Caroline.

Once she'd danced to her heart's content, he watched as she shot him a coquettish look before slipping out of the club. Moments later he stepped outside and there she was, standing off to the side waiting. No matter how many times he drew her, committed her every detail to memory, seeing Caroline up close and personal never failed to astound Klaus. Those pink tinted lips, that demure little nose, those glittering eyes, all framed by that halo of soft blonde hair.

"Hello." She said softly, walking up to him until they were practically nose to nose.

"Hello, love." He brushed a strand of that silky hair back behind her ear, holding her chin between his thumb and index fingers.

"I saw you with all those girls back there. Why didn't you offer to take one of them home?" She asked, leaning into this touch.

"Because I have someone much better in mind sweetheart." He replied, their faces so close his lips almost brushed hers as he spoke – almost.

"Oh, so I'm a forgone conclusion then. You think I'm a done deal." Caroline spoke softly, chasing his lips with hers but never quite touching.

"I think you need a fix just as badly as I do." Klaus nipped her lower lip just once before stepping back and hailing a cab.

The ride back to his villa was quiet but tense. The sexual charge between the two was overwhelming and Klaus couldn't wait to get her upstairs and out of her clothes. He waited until they were inside before he slammed her back against the wall and pressed his lips to hers. Soft and delicious, he could kiss Caroline's lips all night. She wrapped her arms around his neck before jumping and wrapping her legs around him.

With Caroline's legs wrapped around his waist and her body clinging to his, Klaus raced up the stairs. Getting to the bedroom as fast as possible was a priority. The night had dragged on for too long and he was on the brink of insanity from wanting Caroline so damn badly. He made it up the stairs and quickly pushed Caroline against the nearest wall. She ran her fingers through his hair and tugged a little. She tilted her head back on a slight moan and he took advantage of the situation, running his lips along her neck.

"I need you Klaus." She moaned lightly and arched her body against his.

And that was all it took to set his body on fire and his nerves on edge. He wanted her so badly it was beginning to hurt. Keeping Caroline wrapped in his arms, Klaus started moving towards his bedroom again. He'd only made it half way down the hallway when Caroline managed to slip her hand in between their bodies and into his pants. If she kept stroking him like that it wouldn't matter whether they made it to the bed or not; he'd press her up against the wall and take her right then and there.

"Love, don't do that." He groaned, wishing that his bedroom wasn't so far away all of a sudden.

Caroline just gave a small laugh and nibbled on his ear, leaving her hand poised right above his dick. Klaus wasn't sure what was worse- the light, teasing strokes or the anxiety of having her hand there but not actually touching him.

He felt like a starving man, like he needed her more than his next breath. Every growl that left his mouth sounded savage, like a man on the edge. A man overcome with lust. A few torturous moments later, he was shutting the door to his bedroom and pressing Caroline up against the wall beside it.

"You have no idea- the things you do to me, sweetheart." He murmured into her neck, nipping and biting at the taut skin there.

"I can take a good guess." Caroline said coyly before running her hand along his hardened length.

Caroline dropped out of his arms and onto her feet while still running her hand along his with barely there touches. After a few seconds she undid the zipper on his pants and freed his dick from his boxers. Before Klaus could even reach for her, Caroline had her hand gripping him with slow and teasing strokes.

It had been a long night of waiting to get Caroline alone and he was hard enough that it hurt. But he'd been without Caroline for years and God only knew when they'd meet like this again so he intended to get his fill of her. He wasn't going to rush this.

"If you keep that up, this will be over too soon." Klaus growled, grabbing her wrist and stopping her motions.

Caroline just smirked up at him, letting her fingers still trace invisible patterns over his dick.

"What- are you afraid of losing control?" She practically whispered against his lips.

"Only with you. There's always been something about you that just pushes all my buttons. Holding back at all is killing me love, but I'll be damned if I'll fuck this up."

He pulled her hand away from his dick and held both her wrists above her head.

"So, we're going to do this my way." Klaus brushed his lips against the corner of her mouth.

"And what if I don't like your way." She gave him a sexily defiant stare.

He smirked and ran his fingers over her right nipple. He felt it perk up under his touch and watched as Caroline closed her eyes and let out a soft moan.

"Oh, you'll like it." He said, continuing to play with her. "Count on it sweetheart."

Caroline wasn't entirely sure when power changed hands but she found herself trapped beneath Klaus on the bed with her arms above her head.

Klaus' mouth on hers was beginning to drive Caroline crazy. His right hand kneaded her breast while his left held her head still. The fabric of his fly scrapped against her body as she grinded her body up towards his. After a few moments Klaus pulled his mouth away from hers. He felt his way around her dress before finding the zipper and pulling it down. Running his hands over his shoulders, he slid the dress off of Caroline's body. She watched his eyes get darker with every inch of her skin that was exposed as the dress got lower and lower. Pretty soon the dress had met the floor and she was left in nothing but a skimpy pair of panties. It didn't take long for Klaus to strip her of those too.

Klaus kissed Caroline's inner thigh and she heard him let out a low growl. She wrapped her fingers around his hair and pulled his face up to look at hers. Caroline smirked at him and he returned the look. Keeping his eyes on hers, Klaus moved his way back up her body leaving a trail of bite marks behind him.

He covered her mouth again, and slowly, tantalizingly, moved his hand down her waist, over her hip, and then inward until his fingers delved between her legs. Suddenly, Caroline was the one who'd lost control. She gave in to the bombardment of her senses that Klaus caused with his hands and his mouth. She let loose a stream of moans as Klaus kissed his way down to her breast and latched onto her nipple. She couldn't hold back the evocative sounds and it seemed to urge Klaus on. Caroline arched her body against his and she could feel Klaus' rumbling growls vibrating against her breasts.

"I want you. Now." She demanded. She wanted Klaus there with her when she went over the edge of control.

Klaus was all too happy to oblige but chose to take his time getting to it. Her frustration built as she watched Klaus ease his shirt over his head slowly. After his shirt joined her dress on the floor, he took a painstakingly long time to take off his jeans and boxers.

"You should go into stripping. You'd make a fortune." Caroline said, watching Klaus as he slid closer to her.

"I already have a fortune." He replied quickly before attacking her mouth again with his.

Moments later Caroline felt Klaus slide slowly into her and she gasped into his mouth. She wrapped her legs around him and urged him even further. She watched Klaus lock his jaw and his shoulders go taut. Finally he began a slow rhythm, sliding in and out of her. She could tell Klaus wanted it to last, he wanted to keep control.

But Caroline didn't want him controlled. She wanted him as lost as she felt. Needing to push him, she thrust her hips upward, forcing him in deeper.

"God, you feel so good." She whispered in his ear and she watched as his control started to slip.

Caroline moved her hips faster, trying to force him to pick up the pace.

"Fuck me, Klaus." She moaned and Klaus struggled to stay in control.

His expression darkened as he fought it, but he lost the battle. "Shit," he groaned, even as he began riding her hard, driving into her, pulling all the way out, thrusting in again.

From there they both teetered over the edge. The room filled with loud moans and growls with the occasional scream. It wasn't much longer before they both finally fell off the cliff and into mind-blowing release. Caroline felt Klaus stiffen over her before finally going lax and rolling slowly off of her body.

"Shit." He murmured.

Before her body had fully come down from its high, Caroline felt Klaus' lips pressed against her neck and his hands running along her thigh.

"I hope you're not exhausted." He murmured in her ear.

"And why's that?"

"Because there'll be round two. And three. And four." Klaus said this as he slid his fingers along her inner thigh.

"That many?" She asked, smiling at him.

"There is so much I want to do to you. Four rounds might not even cover it."

She moaned as Klaus teased one nipple while nibbling on her neck. It was pretty clear that the night was nowhere near over and just the thought of what was to come set her body humming.

It was 3 am by the time the two finally passed out, bodies deliciously exhausted. Caroline was up again before dawn, slipping her clothes back on before quietly leaving the house without so much as a note. No notes or lingering goodbyes were necessary. They'd see each other again in a few years.


	4. The One Where He Comforts Her

**The One Where He Comforts Her**

She was too trusting. Despite everything she'd seen, despite what she was, Caroline gave her trust freely and that only made Klaus more guarded. If she insisted on living in a world that was constantly bright and cheery, a world where everyone was trustworthy and loyal, then Klaus felt it was his duty to protect her from the seedier side of reality – from the people who'd lie, steal and betray without so much as a second thought. He supposed he could dispel her theories, force her to open her eyes and see the world for the cruel place it was, but then he'd be killing part of the spirit that made him love her so much. So he shielded her, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't protect her from everything.

Klaus found Caroline in their room, curled up on the bed in fetal position. He leaned against the doorframe and watched her for a moment before venturing into the room. He sat beside her on the bed, running his fingers along her delicate cheek.

"I'm fine" she mumbled, her normally bright eyes bland and distant.

She wasn't fine and they both knew it. She trusted a woman, a vampire she'd met in Paris. The two had become very close, very quickly and Caroline was enjoying having another female around (the Mikaelson family was insanely testosterone driven). All was well until the foolish woman had turned around and tried to kill Klaus.

Klaus knew Caroline blamed herself but he didn't. He was, for all intents and purposes, invincible. He'd pulled the stake from his chest and slaughtered the vampire who had been imprudent enough to try. And he wasn't all that upset that the woman had tried to kill him- many had tried before her- he was, however, livid that she had used Caroline in her ploy.

"I'm fine." Caroline whispered again, listlessly.

Klaus didn't respond. He shifted to lay on the bed behind her, wrapping one hand around her waist and stroking her hair with the other. They lay there in silence for a while before Caroline spoke again.

"I'm not fine." She murmured and Klaus brushed his lips comfortingly across her cheek. "I'm afraid. I'm afraid to meet new people, I'm afraid to trust anyone, I'm just…afraid." She sighed.

"It's okay to be afraid. Fear is a perfectly rational emotion."

Caroline scoffed. "Yeah right, what're you afraid of?"

Klaus knew she asked the question sarcastically but he answered honestly. "Losing you terrifies me."

Caroline rolled over to face him and he moved in closer, their faces less than an inch away from each other. Klaus traced her lips with the pad of his thumb. He wanted to see those lips caught in their usual playful smile and he felt his anger return at the thought of that bitch robbing him of Caroline's smile.

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Caroline asked, casting her eyes down and fiddling with his shirt.

Klaus tilted her chin up, forcing her to look him in the eye. "I think you give your trust freely but I don't think that's a flaw, Caroline. I think its part of who you are and who you are is perfect."

Caroline's lips broke into that small smile that Klaus had missed so dearly and he couldn't stop himself from pressing his lips to hers. The kiss quickly turned hot and frantic.

Klaus pulled away from the kiss to murmur against her lips, "I've got an idea or two that'll lift your spirits love."

He ran his lips down her neck and she tilted her head back to give him better access. Trailing down from her neck to her collarbone, he rolled over so he was lying on top of her.

Caroline, who was quickly beginning to forget just what she'd been so upset about, let out a moan and gave herself over to his maneuverings. She felt his lips take hold of her right nipple and his hands slide down between her legs, sensations slashing her nerves. A moan ripped from her throat before she even had time to process it.

Klaus lifted his lips from her chest, smirking up at her as he ran his mouth down her belly, leaving tiny crescents from his teeth scattered across her stomach. He placed a kiss on each hipbone before spreading her legs, placing one after the other over his shoulders, opening her to his eyes and touch. He inhaled her, rumbled like a lion maddened at the scent of his female in heat, then blew a gust of acute sensation over her quivering flesh. Caroline's hips bucked, her cry of "please" morphing into a squeal. It became a shriek when he pumped two fingers into her, in a slow, slow glide. Her gasping mouth widened as his tongue joined in, licked from where his fingers were buried inside her upward, circling her bud until she heard her own voice sobbing pleas again. Klaus' lips locked on her core. Caroline bucked, pressed her burning flesh to his mouth, opening herself fully to his double sensual assault, bewilderment shooting through her as each glide and graze and pull and thrust sent hotter pierces racing through her. Moments later she was convulsing, pleasure slamming through her in desperate surges.

"I will never get enough of you." Klaus whispered against her thigh.

"I know the feeling." Caroline gasped, staring dazed down at him.

The tingles racing through her skin had only begun to slow down when suddenly Klaus was on her – in her. And it didn't matter that she'd just come down from an explosive high, in seconds he had her mindlessly pumping her hips up at him, begging for more. He withdrew then plunged, then again and again, riding her ecstasy, not letting it subside, building the pressure inside her again as he took her lips, thrust inside her mouth with his tongue, simulating the powerful thrusts of their hips against each other. This time Caroline screamed with the first crashing chord of the climax, her muscles squeezing the hardness and girth pistoning satisfaction into her, convulsing around it. Klaus rose above her, muscles taught, eyes dark, face seizing with the pleasure of possessing Caroline. Then he threw his head back and roared as every muscle in his body locked, thrusting into her one last time before going lax and collapsing on her.

Caroline wrapped her arms around him, liking the feel of their sweaty skin clinging to each other, loving the weight of him covering her like a security blanket.

"Are you fine now?" Klaus asked with a smirk, rolling off of her.

Caroline chuckled, throwing her leg over his and burrowing into his side. "I'm more than just fine. I'm fabulous. Absolutely fabulous."


	5. The One Where He Indulges Her

**The One Where He Indulges Her**

"You know there are horse-drawn carriages this year."

Klaus looked up from his sketch as Rebekah sauntered into his library, interrupting what had been, up until that point, a peaceful afternoon. He only spared her a glance before returning to his drawing.

"And a red carpet. She literally wants to run a carpet from the front door down to the driveway." Rebekah continued, standing in front of Klaus with her arms crossed.

Though Klaus continued to ignore her, Rebekah rambled on. "There are even talks of fireworks. Fireworks, Nik."

"And why exactly are you disturbing me with this, Rebekah?" Klaus finally dropped his pencil and scowled up at her.

"Because she's your girlfriend and you need to get her under control." Rebekah's voice rose and she waved her arms around.

Klaus rolled his eyes, picking up his pencil and continuing his sketch. "I thought you females were supposed to love this annual ball business."

"I love a good ball, not a circus." Rebekah scoffed in reply. She wanted champagne and dancing, not horses and fireworks.

Klaus laughed, head still bent and focused on his work. He let Caroline throw these balls because they pleased her and what pleased her invariably pleased him. And everyone who received an invitation knew better than to skip one of Caroline's balls. Because she would mention it to him in passing (oh, I didn't see Marlowe at the ball, have you heard from him?) and he'd take it upon himself to rectify the problem (oh, I'm pretty sure he's dead love). So no one ever missed a ball. Not that Caroline knew that. She just thought she threw great parties.

"I'm not kidding Nik, she's going overboard." Rebekah fought the urge to stomp her foot.

"Humor her," was his only reply.

"Once again we're all made to suffer because your concu-"

Klaus was up and had Rebekah by her throat before she was entirely sure what had happened, his pencil now pressed dangerously close to her chest. "Be careful what you say next, Bekah."

Kol had made the mistake of calling Caroline a concubine once. **Once.**

Klaus released his sister before returning to his spot on the sofa.

"Be a good sport." He chimed, as if he hadn't just threatened her. "It'll all be over soon enough."

Rebekah rolled her eyes and Klaus watched her storm out of the room. As Rebekah breezed out of the library, she ran into Caroline who was on her way in.

"You know he hates these balls right." She said offhandedly. "He only does them to indulge you." Rebekah shook her head and walked around Caroline.

Caroline, already accustomed to Rebekah's moods, just shrugged – the two would no doubt be out together tomorrow gown shopping and looking for all the world like they were the best of friends.

Caroline walked into the library and curled up on the sofa beside Klaus. He lifted his arm to create a nook for her to bury herself in and she gratefully took it. They stayed like this in silence with Klaus stroking her arm lightly with one hand and sketching with the other. Caroline didn't mind the silence, she found it comforting. She was half asleep when she mumbled into his chest.

"Maybe, no fireworks."

Klaus just chuckled, "maybe, no fireworks."


	6. The One Where He Paints Her

**The One Where He Paints Her. **_A continuation to The One Where She Persuades Him._

"I won't do it."

Elijah, who stood off to the side adjusting his cuff links in front of the mirror, caught Katherine's gaze in the mirror. She lay, pouting prettily, on the bed - naked but for a sheet draped precariously across her stomach. It would be all too easy to go over there and yank the sheet away, baring her sinful body to him and burying himself in her again. But, alas, there was no time because contrary to what Katherine claimed, she would be accompanying him to his family's dinner tonight.

He adjusted his tie as he spoke, "Katerina, you are going. Get up and get dressed."

"Dinner with your homicidal brother was not part of the deal, Elijah." She replied, watching as he readied himself. She liked him all buttoned up and serious. She liked him even more completely undone.

"Niklaus has exonerated you and agreed to let bygones be bygones."

"All the more reason not to provoke him. Out of sight, out of mind." Katherine sat up to kneel naked on the bed, shooting Elijah a sultry look in the mirror. She knew the affect her naked body had on him. "Besides, we have centuries of lost time to catch up on." She drew tiny circles right above her breasts, drawing his attention to that area.

Elijah's eyes darkened and his nostrils flared as he gazed hungrily at Katherine perched on the bed. "You insolent girl" he growled, eyes still roaming her delectable body. "Have you not had enough?" He said, referring to the around-the-clock sex they'd been having since he'd caught up to her in Montreal.

"Of you, my lord? Never." She smirked.

Elijah felt his resolve weaken and his cock harden at her use of 'my lord'. He swallowed once and turned his attention back to his tie. "I won't tell you again Katerina. Get ready."

"Or what?" Katherine taunted him, still running her fingers lightly over her body.

"Or I'll take you over my knee and redden that tight little behind of yours."

Katherine felt a tingle shoot through her at his words. "I like it when you spank me," she replied in a soft whimper that was meant to provoke.

There was a flash and before she could react, Elijah was sitting on the bed with Katherine thrown over his lap, her face inches from the floor and ass in the air. He brought his hand down and the sound of flesh hitting flesh mingled with Katherine's moans. He alternated mild and stinging blows that kept her flinching in anticipation. Kept her flesh heated, the pain flaring through her body. A pain she hated, hated because the pleasure from it was driving her crazy and she could feel her thighs moistening with each blow. Katherine heard Elijah murmur beneath his breath as he spanked her – "brazen girl", "torturous vixen." Her ass was red and burning deliciously before Elijah gently pushed her to the floor in front of him.

Katherine didn't need to be told what to do. She slid the zipper down on his slacks and pulled out his hardening length. She held his member still with one firm hand and ran her tongue up and down the entire length of the shaft before depositing wet kisses all over the underside. Elijah wrapped his fingers in her hair, rocking his hips up to meet her mouth. He ached to hold her head still and force his length all the way down her throat, but he knew she was enjoying teasing him and he wanted to let her. The torture was magnificent. It wasn't long before Elijah let go, burying himself in her throat with a groan as he went over the edge.

Katherine pulled back and looked up at him, clearly pleased with herself. Elijah let out a breath before standing and adjusting his clothes.

"What about me?" Katherine asked with a pout.

"What about you?" was his reply.

She glared up at him and he took her hand, pulling her up and flush against his body.

He ran one hand through her hair and the other down to between her legs. His fingers were so close to where she needed them to be but Elijah continued to toy with her.

"Maybe if you behave," he yanked her head back by her hair and ran his mouth along her neck, "you'll be rewarded." And with that he pulled away, spinning her around and gently shoving her in the direction of the closet.

She let out a frustrated huff to show her irritation at him but on the inside she thrilled at his command. If he wanted her to go play house with his family then fine - she was most definitely looking forward to her reward tonight.

While Katherine was looking forward to her reward, Klaus was collecting the reward owed to him by Caroline. He stood before a large canvas in the drawing room; alternating looking from his painting to Caroline, who was lying on a chaise gloriously bare. She was posed in the same manner as Venus in Henri Pierre Picou's painting of the same name; with one arm placed over her head and the other strewn over the side of the chaise. Her body was still flush and sweaty from when he had taken her not too long ago, her cheeks still showing signs of where his stubble had grazed her and the flesh around her nipples still reddened from when he had taken them in his mouth.

"Are we almost done?" Caroline asked. "Your siblings will be here soon."

Klaus focused intently on getting the curve of her hip just right, "patience love. I've only got one shot at this and I intend to make it perfect."

Caroline, careful not to move too much, cast her eyes towards Klaus to watch him work. She loved the intent look he got on his face when he painted. It was like any lingering tension he harbored dissipated. Even when she wasn't the subject, she could watch him paint for hours. But unfortunately they didn't have hours to spare since their guests would be here soon.

She was getting ready to open her mouth again when she heard the distant sound of the doorbell ringing, and she knew Klaus heard it too.

"That'll be Elijah. He's always so punctual." Caroline said, looking pointedly at Klaus without moving her head too much.

Klaus showed no signs of stopping. "A hybrid will get it," he said nonchalantly.

"But I haven't set the table or chilled the wine."

"They'll take care of it." He replied, referring to the team of hybrids he kept on hand to do these things for him.

Just then the door opened and a female hybrid peeked in cautiously, remembering the warning Klaus had given out to not be disturbed for the day. "Your guests have arrived."

"Take them to the living room and serve them drinks. Tell them we'll be a moment."

The hybrid left, shutting the door behind her. It was a few more minutes before Klaus put his brush down and stepped back. "Perfection," he muttered beneath his breath.

"Finally," Caroline gave a dramatic sigh. Sitting in one place for hours was not her forte.

She pulled on her clothes before walking around to take a look at the painting. Like all of his work, it was stunning.

"Now to find a place to hang it." Klaus said, standing behind Caroline and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I was thinking the foyer."

Caroline whipped her head to the side and gave him a shocked look. "Absolutely not!"

"I was just kidding love," Klaus grinned, "this painting is strictly for my eyes only."

"Good." She replied before taking his hand and heading downstairs.

They found Katherine and Elijah sitting in the living room, Elijah with his arm perched over her shoulder. Caroline gave an involuntary flinch at the sight of Katherine and Klaus must have felt it because he stepped slightly in front of her, as if to protect her. If Katherine was at all nervous about being in the same room as the man who'd hunted her for centuries, she certainly wasn't letting it show.

"Brother." Elijah said with a nod, raising his glass to Klaus by way of greeting.

"Elijah. Katherine." The way he said her name was a snarl.

Caroline stared intently at Elijah for a moment. He looked content in a way she'd never seen him look before – as if an air of gratification had wrapped around him. She could only assume it was Katherine that brought about this change and if she was what made him happy then Caroline could be civil and so could Nik.

"So how have you been?" Caroline asked, leading Klaus over to the sofa opposite the other couple and taking a seat.

The four held a stiff conversation - or rather Caroline and Elijah held a conversation while Katherine watched Klaus warily and he glared at her – until the doorbell rang again.

"I'll get it." Caroline hopped up, eager to escape the tense room.

"Rebekah!" She greeted the other blonde at the door with a smile and a hug.

"Is Kol here yet? I've got a bone to pick with that –" Rebekah stopped short as the two walked into the living room and she caught sight of Katherine sitting there.

"What's she doing here?" Her tone more confused than upset. It was Nik who had held a vendetta against Katherine – Rebekah hardly knew the woman. She did however know that her brother did not forgive easily and it was a shock to see the two in the same room without any violence occurring.

"Has our dear brother not mentioned his budding love affair?" Klaus asked sarcastically, gesturing toward the two sitting opposite him.

"We have all agreed to let bygones be bygones." Elijah said at the same time.

Rebekah narrowed her eyes at Katherine. She didn't know the woman well enough to hate her but she disliked all Petrova women on principle – they were greedy, vain, and caused more trouble than they cured. Plus their penchant for juggling brothers was nauseating.

"Another drink anyone?" Caroline asked in an attempt to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Absolutely." Katherine said, lifting her champagne flute. She had every intention of trying to drink her way through this night.

Caroline had just poured her drink when the bell rang again. She left the room and came back with Kol and his floozy of the month in tow. Kol, who had been confined to a box for the entire Katherine debacle, had no real opinion on her presence at the family dinner. He did, however, note the effect she had on the room. "Well aren't we all in the chattiest of moods today." Kol said, breaking the tense silence as they all made their way over to the dining room.

"Don't you start. I happen to know it was you that sabotaged my relationship with Juda." Rebekah said, glaring at her brother.

Kol just gave that mischievous smile of his, "as much as I'd like to take credit for everything that goes wrong in your life, Bekah, I can't lay claim to this one."

With that, the atmosphere in the room loosened and they began to enjoy the dinner as per usual. If anyone was put off by the addition of Katherine to the group, they didn't let it show. Except for Nik, who would scowl relentlessly until he caught Caroline's gaze at which point his face would loosen into a smile only to go right back to glaring at Katherine when she turned her head. His switch from ferocity to fondness was dizzying for everyone else at the table but Caroline was used to it.

At any rate, Katherine wasn't nearly as horrifying as Caroline had expected. Of course she wouldn't be planning shopping trips and girls night out with the older vampire any time soon but she knew a good thing when she saw one and Katherine and Elijah had a good thing going, if the heated stares they shot at each other were anything to go by.

The night wrapped up quickly and painlessly and Klaus was eager to see everyone out by the end of it. He suffered a lot for the sake of Caroline and he sincerely hoped she knew just how difficult it had been to keep from tearing Katherine's throat out.

"That wasn't so bad." She said, turning around after she shut the door behind Kol.

Klaus only grunted in response. This was just the beginning of an eternity of having Katherine in their lives – Caroline had no idea just how much she owed him.

"Don't be so grumpy." She walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can make it up to you." She whispered against his lips before kissing him.

Yes, she could. And if Klaus had his way, she'd be making it up to him for quite some time.


	7. The One Where He Leaves Her

**The One Where He Leaves Her**

Klaus had never been a selfless man. He'd been around for over a thousand years and had only ever acted in his own self-interest. Sitting on the edge of the bed he'd shared with Caroline for over two decades, he stroked her cheek while she slept. Klaus had never been a selfless man but tonight he'd commit his first ever noble act. He had to let her go.

The day Caroline had first come to him had been the single greatest day of Klaus' thousand year long existence, but it also marked the day he'd begun to conform to keep her. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do to keep Caroline by his side so he tamed everything about him that made him who he was. His impulsivity, his bloodthirst, his need to control everyone around him. It was all a small price to pay to have Caroline in his life. But as time went on, the harder it became. He was a temperamental man pretending to be docile. He was a bloodthirsty vampire playing at being human. He was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Caroline was pure and innocent and she deserved the real thing, not Klaus as a shadow of who he once was and pretending to be what Caroline needed. She deserved, he thought, a vampire like Stefan. But as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he shoved it aside with a growl. The thought of Caroline with anyone else, let alone that holier than thou vampire, made him want to tear someone's throat out. For a moment, he almost changed his mind and crawled back into bed with her. But he reminded himself that he had to do this one selfless thing – he had to let her go.

Caroline woke up the next morning and immediately felt a sense of dread overtake her. She shook her head, as if to shake it off, but caught sight of a folded piece of paper on the pillow beside her. She picked it up and flipped it open, instantly recognizing Nik's handwriting. As she read the letter (_you deserve better…this isn't who I am…I will always love you_) she felt her heart crumble as if someone was clenching it in an iron grip. The letter she grasped in her hands started to color with drops of water and it took her a moment to realize she was crying.

She jumped up from the bed and ran down the hall, yelling his name as if that would somehow make him appear. Caroline dashed downstairs, outside and back upstairs, calling his name the entire time before collapsing on the floor of their bedroom in shock.

This was the very spot Stefan found her in, four days later. He'd come here, after Caroline had responded to none of his calls, and let himself in when no one answered the door. The sight of her, sprawled on the floor, skin pale and eyes eerily blank, forced Stefan into action.

"Caroline," he called her name, with no response, as he picked her up and placed her on the bed before shaking her shoulders to no avail. "Caroline!" he shouted this time but her blank eyes stared straight ahead.

He picked up the crumpled letter on the bed and read it through (_this is the hardest thing I've ever had to do…never doubt how amazing you are…take care of yourself_) before letting out a curse and throwing it to the floor.

"Caroline." This time he whispered her name, his voice laced with pity.

Klaus sat in his stately, English countryside manor and let the limp body in his arms drop to the floor before wiping the blood from his mouth. Elijah had pointed out that he was trying to drink, kill, and torture away his sorrow in vain but that certainly hadn't stopped him from trying.

"I like single Nik" Kol said from his spot across the room, an unconscious body draped in his lap, "you're so much more fun."

Nik grunted and stood up, leaving the room. It had only been two weeks and he was already struggling to fill the void left by Caroline's absence. He thought teaming up with Kol would help but his younger brother's rogue lifestyle wasn't doing the trick.

Once he was far enough away from Kol, he pulled his old cellphone from his pocket to find a notification for twelve missed calls and two voice mails. He selected the first voicemail and brought the phone to his ear.

"Klaus," Stefan's voice came through the phone, "I don't know if you're still checking your messages or if this is even still your number but I thought you should know Caroline has been refusing to drink blood. She's been in catatonic shock and we're not sure she's going to snap out of it."

Klaus felt a sense of panic wash over him. He scrolled to the next voicemail, struggling to remain calm.

"It's me again. Still haven't heard from you but I'm letting you know that we've been force feeding her blood. I'm not sure where you are but –" there was a noise in the background and the voicemail ended abruptly.

Klaus felt his resolve to do the right thing weaken. What if Caroline was simply worse off, what if she didn't recover. He shook his head at the thought, convinced she was just in temporary shock. She had her friends looking after her, she would be okay.

"Come on brother." Kol said, coming up behind Klaus. "You're still moping so I'm clearly not doing my job right. Let's hit the town and make trouble." He said, clasping his hands on Klaus' shoulders and shaking him.

Klaus shrugged him off but followed anyway, putting the phone back in his pocket. He knew he should toss the thing and break all connections to the life he'd shared with Caroline but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He needed to stay updated, needed to know that she would be okay.

But Caroline was the furthest thing from okay as she sat on the bed they'd shared, staring at the same beige wall that she'd watched for days. She felt the bed dip beside her and could tell from the light scent that it was Elena.

"Caroline?" the other vampire asked cautiously, wrapping her arms around her best friend's shoulders. "Caroline, you can't stay like this any longer. He wouldn't want you to stay like this."

Caroline showed no signs of listening to the other girl. Instead she contemplated a Shakespeare class she once took. Portia and Ophelia, Cleopatra and Juliet. Love had, in some way or another, driven all these women to commit suicide. Maybe Caroline was as brave as they were. Maybe she was the stuff of great plays. Maybe.

Klaus woke the next morning to another voicemail from Stefan, this one more panicked than the last two. Caroline had tried to drive the snapped off piece of an end table through her chest. According to Stefan, Damon had found a witch who cast a spell on Caroline making it impossible for her to touch wood and thereby robbing her of future suicide attempts. But Klaus paid no mind to that part of the message; he was half way out the door and on his way back to Caroline when Kol appeared in front of him.

"Don't do this brother." He said, blocking Klaus' exit.

Klaus fought the urge to snap his brother's neck. "Move out of my way Kol before I litter the floor with your insides," he growled.

"She isn't mourning you. She's mourning a man who never existed. The man you wished you could be but you weren't." Kol said, causing Klaus to stiffen. "Let her grieve, brother. And when she's done grieving she'll return to normal. It's all for the best."

Klaus wasn't sure why he let himself be convinced by Kol's reasoning. Maybe he wanted to believe that Caroline would be alright. Maybe he wanted to believe that he hadn't made the wrong choice. That night, twenty-three townies went missing. That night, Klaus only saw red.

Caroline had had it with everyone hovering around her. She wanted them all out so she could wallow in peace. They were her friends and she loved them but they simply did not understand that she didn't want to feel better. She didn't **want** to get better. She wanted it all to end. The sadness, the self-pity, the loneliness. Caroline knew she'd lived a long enough life, most of it very fulfilling. But she didn't want it anymore. She didn't want eternity anymore. She just wanted it to end. Turning her head to the side, she looked out the window at the full moon hitting its peak in the sky. Was it so bad to just want it to end?

Again Klaus woke up to another voicemail from Stefan.

"I don't know if you're not getting these messages or if you just don't care but if you ever loved Caroline, you'll come back now. It was a full moon last night and she got out," he heard Stefan let out a grieving sigh, "she got bit. So now's as good a time as any to come back. And fast." The sound of the dial tone took over and for a moment Klaus felt his entire world fall away. For that millisecond there was nothing - no thoughts flashing through his head, no panic, no fear, no love, just nothing. And then everything sped up and it was a race against time.

He didn't bother conversing with Kol at the door this time, just snapping his neck and stepping over his temporarily dead body. As he worked his way back to Caroline, for the first time ever, Klaus loathed his invincibility. Nothing could kill him but if Caroline died (and because of him no less), nothing could make him want to live. Just the thought of living in a world that didn't have Caroline in it was enough to terrify Klaus as nothing else ever had. In that moment he swore to himself that if he lost her, he'd stop at nothing to locate even just the smallest sliver of that original white oak tree. It didn't matter that he'd be wiping out a large chunk of the vampire population with him. He couldn't, and wouldn't, live without Caroline.

When Caroline woke up, she thought for a moment she must be in Heaven because Nik was perched on a chair placed by her bed, his hand gripping hers tightly. But she quickly decided that if she were in Heaven he wouldn't look so distressed and her bones wouldn't have a faint ache to them. So that could only mean she was still alive and Nik was really here with her.

She felt a series of extreme emotions wash over her. Initially confusion. Then happiness. Followed by anger. It didn't matter that he was back, because he had left her in the first place.

"You son of a bitch!" She shouted, tearing her hand from his and giving in to the impulse to slap him. "You uncaring, callous asshole."

Klaus just stared at her for a moment before brushing a strand of hair back from her face. "You're okay." He said, relief embedded in his voice. "You're okay," he whispered again as if to reassure himself it was the truth.

Still exhausted and having been put through a ringer of emotions on top of that, Caroline felt her eyes start to droop in sleepiness again. She clutched his hand in hers again and whispered "don't leave" before falling back asleep.

Klaus didn't need her small plea. There was no chance that he'd ever be leaving Caroline again. He thought she wouldn't want him if he let himself be who he really was and maybe that was true but it didn't matter. He'd do whatever she needed and be whoever she wanted just to avoid feeling like he had in the past few hours when he thought there was a chance he might lose her. He thought he'd become a shell of himself, conforming to be what she needed, but he was closer to nothing without her. So maybe he was just a wolf in sheep's clothing but that was far better than being nothing at all.

Confident now that she would be okay and a little movement wouldn't hurt her, he crawled into the bed beside her and wrapped her in his arms. Even in her sleep, Caroline instinctively huddled into his side. It was another few hours before she woke up again, this time feeling fully recovered.

"Why did you leave me?" was the first thing she whispered against his chest when she woke up.

Klaus let out a small sigh, "I explained it all in the letter."

"That letter was full of bullshit," she muttered. "You came to all those conclusions on your own and you made the decision to leave on your own. If you'd ever thought to ask me you would know that I've always loved everything about you. And I mean the real you. Not whatever bogus image you thought you had to project for me." She explained, pulling at the ends of his shirt.

"Caroline," he began but she cut him off.

"No, I'm serious. I've never held any delusions when it came to you. I know you have a dark side. Hell I know you're 80% dark side. That has never stopped me from loving you." She tilted her head up to look him in the eye. "That might make me crazy but it's the truth."

Klaus stared at her and saw the sincerity in her eyes. He knew he'd caused them both unnecessary pain and he could, and probably would, dwell on this for years. But for now all he could feel was grateful. Grateful for her devoted words. Grateful to have her alive and in his arms. And grateful for the second chance at an eternity with her by his side.


	8. The One Where He Stops Her

**The One Where He Stops Her**

Caroline wouldn't exactly call herself an impulsive girl. Maybe she was an impulsive shopper but in most aspects of her life she tended to plan – some would say she over planned. Which was why she was shocked to find herself in this precarious position.

She ran her hands along the silk sheets covering the king-sized bed, feeling around for her bra. Instead she came into contact with warm, stubble covered skin. Caroline glanced over cautiously at Klaus' lax body. She wasn't an impulsive girl but when she'd seen him tonight instinct had taken over.

Caroline had been settling in for a nice dinner alone at a small restaurant in Venice when she felt a penetrating presence directly behind her. She turned in her seat and caught sight of that unfairly handsome face and teasing half smile she hadn't seen in over a decade. She turned back around in her seat quickly and watched from the corner of her eye as Klaus sauntered around the table and took the seat across from her. She expected him to say something but he just stared at her, drinking in her features.

"I'm waiting for someone." She lied through her teeth, shooting him a steely look.

Klaus just tilted his head, that damn infuriating smirk on his face.

"That wasn't an invitation to stay."

He ignored her, motioning for a waiter to come over and ordering a bottle of wine. When he poured them both a glass, Caroline resigned herself to the fact that he wouldn't be leaving her in peace anytime soon and lifted her glass before speaking again.

"How did you find me?"

"I never lost you," was Klaus' easy response. And it was true. He knew everywhere Caroline had been since leaving Mystic Falls and he liked knowing. He **needed** to know – for the sake of her safety and his sanity.

Caroline scoffed but on the inside she couldn't help but feel thrilled. It was nice to know someone still cared about what she was up too – if she lived or died. Bonnie had a family now and wanted nothing to do with vampires – understandably so. And Elena and the Salvatores had their own never-ending drama to deal with. So Caroline spent a lot of time alone, wandering from city to city.

So really who could blame her for ending up in bed with Klaus – the once and always enemy. They'd had dinner and talked. He'd bought her flowers and took her on a gondola ride. It was basically the stuff of a romantic comedy. But now reality was setting in and she had to get out of here.

Klaus pretended to sleep while Caroline stared down at him. He figured he'd let her look her fill. Besides, he had been waiting for this for over a decade and she had been fighting it for the same amount of time. He could be magnanimous in victory and allow her a moment or two to collect herself. He felt her climb out of the bed and held in a growl of frustration. Klaus had suspected that she would do this but that didn't make him any less angry that she would cheapen what happened by attempting to slip out in the middle of the night.

Caroline had made it to the door (he wanted to give her ample time to change her mind) when he flashed in front of her, causing her to jump back in surprise.

"Now, Caroline" he said, stalking over to her.

She put her hands up as if to stop him and he just laughed, inching closer. "Listen, this has been fun but –"

"It can be even more fun." He cut her off, running his fingers across her cheek.

She had put back on her slip of a dress and it was having the same dick-hardening effect on him that it'd had all night. Caroline continued to back away from him, unaware that she'd only backed herself into a corner – caught between the dresser and his body. He smirked down at her before dipping his head and running his lips along her neck.

"Quit it." Caroline said, even as her body betrayed her and her nipples hardened. "I just want to forget that last night happened—"

"By all means, go ahead. We can have quite the time rediscovering the joys and reliving the highlights right now." Klaus replied, burying his hungry mouth against the delicate ridge of her collar-bone where a tiny pulse was flickering like crazy. The very scent of her soft skin enthralled him.

"Why won't you listen to what I'm saying?" Caroline struggled to compose herself beneath the influence of his ministrations. Just looking at him unleashed a flock of butterflies in her stomach and that was quickly followed up by a sultry, warm, tingling sensation that pierced deep enough to make her blush and squirm.

"Whether you knew it or not, you were signing up for more than one night when you shared my bed." Klaus nipped at her skin, fascinated by the taste of it. "I still want you. You still want me. Let's not play this game anymore, Caroline."

"But I don't want you." Caroline retorted.

"Yes, you do…" Klaus countered.

And he was right, she registered in dim surprise. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted anything or anybody: it was that basic. But hell if she'd let this egomaniac know that.

Klaus ripped the teasing dress from her body and paused to admire the succulent pink nipples he had uncovered. "You're exquisite." And he rubbed those stiff, swollen buds with knowing fingers before lowering his head to lave them with his tongue.

Her back arched up to him and she cried out in sensual shock at the pure intensity of sensation. Her fingers dug into his unruly hair and she threw her head back. He toyed with the sensitive tips while he kissed her again with erotic thoroughness, very much a male staking a claim and taking his time. She wrapped her arms tighter round him, pressing her sensitized, tingling breasts into the hard, coarse wall of his chest and letting her hands glide along the breadth of his shoulders and the long, silky smooth line of his toned back.

Caroline let out a moan and before she could register what was happening, she was tossed onto the bed and Klaus landed skillfully on top of her. He slid his finger beneath the band of her black lace panties, toying with the garment before ripping it from her body (somewhere in the back of her mind she got the distinct impression he was tearing all her clothes to prevent her from leaving).

"You should wear jewel colors and silk. I'll buy you gorgeous lingerie, love," he murmured huskily.

"I wouldn't wear it."

"You can't imagine the things I could make you do, sweetheart." A slashing grin curved his beautiful mouth as he voiced that bold belief.

Caroline huffed in disbelief, grinding her hips up against his – eager to move things along. She expected him to take the hint and plow right into her but instead he ran his erection along her slit with teasing accuracy. She clawed at his back, her hips flailing of their own volition, desperate for contact.

Klaus smirked at her antics, toying with them both until he couldn't anymore and plunged his length into her. He let out an animalistic growl at the feel of her tightening around him, slick and snug. God he could stay like this forever, buried in Caroline. After a few moments he began to move, sliding out only to thrust back in. She arched up to meet his powerful thrust, the motion causing her breasts to rub against his abrasive chest. She couldn't get enough of him. Caroline couldn't remember a time anything had ever felt so good to her or so right. She tried, in vain, to hold back the animalistic little cries wrenched from her as he drove her to his stormy sexual rhythm. Finally, he sent her spiraling into an all-consuming, convulsive climax. Ecstasy sent her crashing into wave on wave of delicious sensations. Klaus' body shuddered and he vented a harsh groan of masculine satisfaction at the height of his own climax.

Klaus collapsed on top of Caroline and laid there for a moment before rolling over to lie beside her. This time he yanked her into his side – trapping her in his arms and banishing even the notion of an escape.

"Go to sleep Caroline, we'll talk in the morning." He murmured into her hair.

She took a moment to recover from her explosive climax before finally working up the energy to speak. "I thought I made it clear I didn't want to spend the night."

Klaus growled, tightening his grip on her. When exactly would she give up this charade of not wanting him. "Leaving isn't an option. Your options are talk or fuck and I don't think I can handle talking right now when you've got that well-fucked flush to your body so unless you want me to bury myself in you again," he felt her pulse jump at that and smirked, "you'll go to sleep Caroline."

Caroline let out an indignant huff before turning in his arms to hide the small smile taking over her face. Despite all her pretenses, it would be nice not to spend another night alone. And if she was being perfectly honest with herself, she couldn't think of anyone better to spend it with.


	9. The One Where He Takes Her

**The One Where He Takes Her**

No one who had ever met Klaus would consider him a patient man and yet he waited for Caroline. He waited and watched in the shadows, denying himself the one thing he truly wanted. There was a certain sweetness in the torture; a particular type of yearning that came from holding back at all. But he had waited for Caroline long enough and he was done humoring her. A man could only be patient for so long. She was his and it was about time that he showed her just how irrevocably and indisputably she belonged to him.

"We should get out of town this weekend."

Caroline looked up from the streamers she was sorting through and shot Elena a confused look.

"You know, like a girls' weekend." Elena continued. "We could leave tonight."

Caroline watched the other girl for a moment before letting out a huff. "Okay, you're kidding right?"

This weekend was the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, hence the streamers, and there was no way Caroline was letting all her meticulous planning go to waste by leaving for some last minute girls' weekend.

"Well it's a full moon tonight and I figured we'd be safer out of town." Elena said with a shrug and Caroline picked up on the hint of fear in her voice.

She sighed and walked over to her friend, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "We've handled full moons before Elena."

"Not like this one." Elena murmured beneath her breath.

"What do you mean?" Caroline asked, dropping her hand from her friend's shoulder.

"Nothing." Elena backtracked. "I just think we should do something fun tonight. Fun and far away."

Caroline cocked her head and put a hand on her hip. "Uh, okay, finishing this float is fun for me so less full moon talk, more working.'

"I'm serious."

"So am I." She replied, returning to her streamers.

"Caroline, trust me, you do not want to be in town tonight."

She turned at the serious tone in her friend's voice and shot her a confused look. "What's going on, Elena?"

Elena sighed and Caroline could see the indecision flitting through her eyes before she finally spoke. "I had a run in with Elijah this morning. According to him, it's a blue moon tonight which is pretty rare."

"You had a run in with a member of the original family and you're just mentioning it now?" Caroline asked with a disbelieving look.

"That isn't the point." Elena said, shaking her head. "He said the blue moon drives werewolves crazy. It enhances their…base desires." She whispered that last part.

"What does this have to do with us?" Caroline asked, head tilted.

Elena looked at her, frowning a little. "Not _us_. **You**."

"Me?"

"Caroline, you know Klaus is obsessed with you. You've been lucky enough to stave him off for this long, why tempt fate by sticking around for a blue moon that is apparently going to turn him into more of a ravenous predator than he already is?"

She thought for a moment before shaking her head no, "I'm not running away."

"Come on Care-"

Caroline cut her off, walking over to the table of paper mache as she spoke. "Why would Elijah tell you this anyway?"

"Because we have an understanding" was Elena's offhand response.

Caroline scoffed in disbelief. "Or this is just another one of Klaus' stupid games."

"And that's a risk you're willing to take?" Elena asked.

"I'm staying." Caroline's said with finality. "This float is going to take me all day and probably all night so I'm staying."

"Fine. Then I'm staying too." Elena walked up beside her friend, snatching up some streamers.

They worked relentlessly, talking and laughing as they went along. By the time the float was done it was nearing midnight.

"See, the moon's been up for hours already and no signs of trouble." Caroline said as they packed up their things.

Elena, still wary, replied – "the night is still young."

Maybe Caroline jinxed it, or maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy brought on by Elena's insistent. Whatever the reason, a scream pierced the quiet night and Caroline's head shot up at the distant sound.

"Caroline what –" Elena didn't get a chance to finish her question before Caroline was a blur and she was left alone in the room.

Elena raced out after her friend and when she finally made it outside, out of breath and panicked, she was met with the sight of a large black wolf and Caroline pacing in a semi-circle. She held in a scream at the sight of two mangled bodies off to the side; blood stained the pavement and Elena put a hand to her nose to ward off the stench of death.

"It's him isn't it?" Elena whispered, watching as her friend and the wolf continued to circle each other.

Caroline crouched to get a better look at the wolf's eyes before answering with a simple "yes." She stood again and when the wolf snarled, Caroline froze.

Bloody teeth bared, the beast inched forward before stopping in front of Caroline. She sucked in an unnecessary breath as the wolf nudged her waist, burying its nose near her stomach. It turned its head towards the woods area behind the school before bumping her stomach again.

"I think he wants me to follow him." Caroline spoke to Elena but kept her eyes trained on the wolf in front of her.

"Caroline don't." Elena spoke but stopped abruptly when the wolf leapt past Caroline and landed in front of Elena with a growl, blood still dripping from its pointy teeth. Elena jumped back with a gasp just as Caroline dashed between her and the beast.

"Fine," she said, looking down at Klaus – disturbed by carrying on a conversation with a wolf. "I'll go with you."

Snarling once more at Elena, the wolf nudged Caroline towards the woods. Shooting her friend a reassuring look, she followed Klaus. As they made their way through the trees, Caroline felt the heavy presence of the beast next to her. She knew she should be afraid but she couldn't conjure up any fear. She did, however, feel pretty impatient. After a few more moments Caroline stopped and turned to face Klaus.

"What is this about?" She asked, hands on her hips.

The wolf bared its teeth again and Caroline wasn't sure how she could tell he was smirking and not snarling but she could.

"It's going to be pretty difficult to carry on a conversation like this." She said, gesturing from herself to the wolf.

The wolf lay down on the ground and a few moments later, Klaus was standing naked before her. Caroline's eyes widened before she averted her gaze, staring at a point just beyond his shoulder.

Klaus just chuckled darkly at her behavior. "Sweet Caroline." He rushed forward and before she could move, Klaus had her pinned to a tree.

It was then that it dawned on her just what she had gotten herself into. A strange sensation raced through her tummy – maybe it was fear finally kicking in, maybe it was anticipation of finally giving in. She leaned as far back as she could but he only followed, leaving less than an inch between their faces. He tilted his head and sniffed her hair, his hands clutching her upper arms in a grip that bordered on painful. The smell of blood still clung to him.

"You killed those people." She said, for no apparent reason.

He just hummed, burying his nose in her neck. Yes he had killed those people – and he enjoyed it. But not as much as he was going to enjoy this.

"Why?" Caroline whispered, trembling a little in his arms. Part of her regretted following him out here; the other part, the part of herself she wanted to hide from, that part wanted to see where this would all go.

"Why?" Klaus parroted her, his legs shoving hers apart and pressing his thigh right against her pelvis. "Because I wanted to, Caroline. And I take what I want." As he spoke, he yanked both her arms in the air and held them back against the tree in one hand. The other hand trailed down her body and she shivered again.

She felt him smirk against her neck. "Are you afraid, love? Nervous?"

Caroline stiffened and held her head high. "No."

"You should be." He said with a laugh before he tore her sundress from her body.

"What are you doing?" Caroline asked, struggling to keep her voice steady. She wasn't sure why, but she hadn't expected him to take things this far. Caroline had thought maybe he was just toying with her but now she was pressed against a tree in nothing but her underwear and the situation had escalated drastically.

"I think you know exactly what I'm doing." Klaus responded, the light kisses he sprinkled across her collarbone at odds with the iron grip he had on her hands.

Caroline tried to keep from panting as her mind raced to find a way out of this situation before things crossed a line she couldn't turn back from.

Klaus smoothed his hand up her bare thighs and dipped a single finger between her lace panties, meeting naked, soaked flesh.

"You're wet, Caroline," he murmured. He ignored her whimper and stroked over her puffy lips. "What color are you here, sweetheart? Dark pink? More mauve?" He dipped his tongue into her ear.

"Oh Jesus." Her body lifted onto her toes and her head fell back, exposing the column of her throat. Klaus attacked, locking his lips onto the delicate skin and sucking it strongly into his mouth, leaving a mark for everyone to see and claiming her at the same time.

He lowered one of her hands and placed it on his hardened length. "See what you fucking do to me, Caroline? I want inside this sweet little pussy." He punctuated his words by tearing her panties from her body. His fingers skated over her bare flesh, gliding along her slit. Caroline bit down on her lip.

Finally, he stripped her of her bra, leaving her completely bare to his touch. "I've been waiting for this moment for months," he growled, and captured her gasp of shock with his mouth.

Klaus devoured her. He pressed his knee between her legs to support her and cradled her face in his hands. Sweeter than honey. He bet anything her pussy would be even sweeter. His dick twitched between them, ready to be buried in her heat. "Look at me Caroline." He growled, grabbing her chin and forcing her to face him.

She kept her eyes shut and held in a whimper.

"Caroline," he whispered her name, raking his teeth along the shell of her ear, "I said look at me."

She knew he couldn't compel her but she couldn't fight his pull and opened her eyes to gaze into his. He shot her that dirty smile and ran the head of his dick along her folds. Her head jerked back and thudded on the tree. White teeth came out to nibble on her lip and her body quivered with anxiety.

"Look at me." He growled again, his voice more menacing than the last time he issued that same command. "I won't tell you again Caroline." He threatened, biting her neck.

Caroline shot her eyes open and locked her gaze on his.

"Good girl." He said with a smile, stroking her head.

She wanted to fight, wanted to tell him she wasn't some obedient puppy – but nothing but whines and whimpers escaped her mouth.

Klaus held eye contact with her as he ran his hands down to her thighs, lifting her a little before sliding the head of his cock into her. He watched her eyes go in and out of focus as she took inch by agonizing inch of his cock. She was tight as a fist around him, sucking him into her depths, milking him with muscles she squeezed as he penetrated.

"Fuck." He panted, caught between ramming into her and taking it slow.

He flicked at one of her nipples then rolled it between his thumb and forefinger. She moaned and arched into his touch. The action impaled her on his cock, drawing a low growl from him. Heaven on fucking Earth. He'd never get enough of her. He retreated and she gasped, bearing down with her pussy and trying to suck him back in. Still holding her hands above her head, he pressed back home. His balls tightened impossibly, threatening to spill their contents with those two simple strokes.

As he thrust slowly in and out of her, he made sure their eyes stayed locked. He wanted her to know it was him giving her this pleasure. He wanted her to know it was him, and only him, that could bring her to such thrashing heights and over the edge. He wanted her to know she was his.

"Oh God." Caroline's entire body stiffened and arched as Klaus' wandering fingers found the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit.

"That's it sweetheart." He murmured, seeing her impending orgasm in her eyes. "Come for me, Caroline."

She shattered, crying out and gripping his hips with her legs in an unbreakable hold. Klaus felt every tiny ripple. It drew out his orgasm. He slammed into her one last time, burying his cock as deep as he could go. His neck corded as he threw his head back and growled with release. It went on and on, like no other orgasm he'd ever had.

Caroline expected him to put her down but instead his grip on her tightened, breaking skin.

"Mine." He growled, nuzzling her neck again. "All mine."

The dangerously possessive tone to his voice, set Caroline's already fried nerves on edge. She should have listened to Elena when she told her to leave. There was no telling what she had just gotten herself into.


	10. The One Where She Reunites Them

**The One Where She Reunites Them**

She'd found her. After fourteen years, Caroline had finally tracked down Rebekah.

The search had begun the day Caroline realized Klaus simply couldn't be Klaus without Rebekah. Like any man well-versed in heartache, he hid it well. For the first few years of their relationship, Caroline hadn't known he'd been holding on to guilt and grief. It wasn't until she walked in on him and Elijah fighting, Klaus demanding to know where Rebekah was and Elijah refusing to tell him, that she saw how losing Rebekah had changed him. It was the little moments that would tear pieces away from her heart – like when she would catch him looking at old portraits of his sister or when they went to a city that reminded him of her and he'd get this forlorn, faraway look in his eyes.

But, contrary to what Klaus' behavior suggested, Rebekah hadn't died – they had a falling out. And a falling out was something that could be remedied.

"I kind of like having you owe me one." Kol's mocking voice came through the phone and Caroline rolled her eyes.

Elijah had strictly refused to divulge any information regarding Rebekah, but Kol could always be persuaded. Although Caroline tried not to think too long on the ramifications of owing Kol a favor.

"And you're sure she's there?" She asked without acknowledging Kol's last comment.

She heard women giggling in the background before he responded. "Yes, I'm sure. Now it's been lovely chatting with you, as always, but I have to run."

Caroline put her phone in her pocket and contemplated her next course of action. If Rebekah really was in Prague like Kol claimed then she was only a two hour flight away from their London home. Unfortunately, there was no chance that Klaus would let her go off on her own which really only left the option of subterfuge. She waited until he'd gone out before scribbling a note (_I'm fine, I'm safe, I'll be back by tonight_) and leaving it in plain view. Snapping the necks of the two hybrids that tried to follow her, she raced off to the airport.

After compelling her way into a seat on the plane, Caroline took a moment to come up with a plan. Two hours later when the plane landed, she still had no clue just what she was going to do. In all fairness, she still didn't know the full story of what had transpired between Klaus and his sister. Whenever she tried to pry information out of him, he would shut down completely and it was hard to fix a problem you knew nothing about. But she was here now and hopefully everything else would fall into place.

Unfortunately, the first thing to fall was Caroline's body to the ground when she entered the apartment Kol had told her Rebekah was occupying. Caroline may have gotten stronger with age but Rebekah was still an original and no one could call this an even fight.

"Jeez, stop! I just want to talk." Caroline said, leaping to her feet and dashing across the room to put some space between herself and Rebekah.

It proved to be a useless tactic because before she could blink, Rebekah had Caroline by her throat and was pressing her back against the wall. "You want to talk? I've had vivid dreams of tearing your throat out so forgive me if I don't want to **talk**." Rebekah spat out, lifting Caroline off the floor by her feet.

"Please." Caroline managed to sputter, gripping Rebekah's fingers that were still tightened around her neck. "It's about Klaus." She stammered as she felt the other vampire crushing her windpipe.

At the mention of her brother's name, Rebekah dropped Caroline and stepped back. Even after all this time, even with all the rage and hatred she felt towards her brother, the thought that he may have truly died this time was enough to give Rebekah pause.

"What about him?" She bit out, hands crossed over her chest.

Caroline took a moment to pull herself together before speaking again. "He needs you."

Rebekah just scoffed, shaking her head. "I'm sure whatever trouble my brother has managed to get himself into, he can get out of all on his own."

"No, I didn't mean needs you like that." Caroline said, watching the other girl with pleading eyes. "I mean he **needs** you. He **needs** the person who knows him better than anyone else. He **needs** his sister."

Rebekah paused at her words, her mind conjuring up the memories of the last time she'd seen her brother. Caroline was right, she did know Klaus better than anyone else. But that hadn't mattered to him. Nothing but his silly hybrids and the young vampire standing in front of her had mattered to her brother. Feeling her fury return, she raced forward and grabbed Caroline by the neck again. So far as she was concerned, the other blond had played a crucial role in her estrangement from her brother.

"If he needs me so much, why isn't he here telling me this himself?"

Caroline was silent and after a moment, Rebekah knew why. For an instant she had actually believed that Klaus had sent Caroline to coerce Rebekah back to his side but the truth was, "he doesn't even know you're here." She said in disbelief.

"Get out." She growled, releasing Caroline. "Before I give in to the urge to maim and kill you."

"Rebekah, you don't understand –" Caroline started but the older vampire cut her off.

"No it's you that is failing to understand." Rebekah spat out. "You have no idea do you? He never told you the ugly truth of what happened."

Caroline, who couldn't dispute that undeniable fact, just sighed. "I know you probably don't believe it but he misses you Rebekah."

"And yet, I haven't heard from him in over a decade."

"You know how he is. He may not have sought you out and his pain may not be obvious but it's definitely there."

Rebekah tsked. "Be careful Caroline. You keep making excuses for him and you'll only end up like me- thousands of years of companionship and nothing to show for it."

"Just come back with me. Give him a chance to make amends." Caroline pled; she knew Rebekah didn't exactly hold a soft spot for her in her heart but she was also willing to do anything to bring the two siblings back together and end Klaus' silent suffering.

"Get out, Caroline." Rebekah said again.

"Fine. But the longer you two stay estranged, the more likely you are to be lost to each other forever."

"I have other brothers." Rebekah bit out.

"Yes but none like him." Caroline replied before finally leaving.

On the way back to the airport, feeling dejected from her failure, she checked the messages Klaus had left on her phone. They all ranged from threatening to pleading to terrified. The trip had been a colossal waste of time and now she had to return home and handle Klaus' anger.

She was just settling into her seat when she felt a presence beside her. Caroline looked up and grinned at Rebekah who snarled before dropping into the seat beside her. The plane ride was a quiet one but Caroline internally celebrated having crossed the first hurdle in reuniting Klaus and Rebekah.

As it turned out, she celebrated too soon because the biggest hurdle had yet to come. When she got home, Rebekah in tow, Klaus was nowhere to be found. One of her two hybrid bodyguards, who had apparently recovered from her snapping his neck earlier, informed her that Klaus had gone out to look for her. She sighed, pulling out her phone to text Klaus and let him know she was home. She would have called but was determined to avoid his anger for as long as possible - which, coincidentally, turned out to not be all that long since the front door flew open with a bang less than thirty minutes later.

"Caroline, you can't imagine how furious I am with you." Klaus blew into the hall and had Caroline pressed back against a wall in a matter of seconds.

He was preparing to enlighten Caroline as to just how upset he was for making him worry when a voice behind him pulled him to a stop.

"Hello brother."

Klaus froze, his entire body tensing like a tight coil at the sound of that lilting voice. He turned slowly, already knowing what he would see. "Rebekah," he whispered her name, almost as if he couldn't believe she was actually there.

The hall was silent for a moment before Klaus grabbed Caroline by the wrist, saying "I need to speak with you." He didn't give her time to protest, racing down the hall with her in tow.

He pulled her into the library and shut the door behind them.

"What have you done?" He demanded, whirling around to face her.

Caroline wasn't sure what reaction she had expected but it certainly wasn't this. "I found Rebekah. She wasn't that far away, she's been living in Prague." She said, her voice showing her confusion at his anger.

"I knew she was in Prague." Klaus growled. "Before that she was in Venice, before that it was Sydney. That doesn't explain why you've brought her here, Caroline." Klaus worked to keep from unleashing his temper on her.

Before Caroline could respond, the door flew open and they both turned to see Rebekah standing there.

"You knew where I was, all this time. And you never came for me." Her voice was barely above a whisper and she worked to keep her eyes dry – she'd shed enough tears over her callous brother.

Klaus stared at her, trying for a small half smile that did nothing to mask the sorrow on his face. "You're my little sister; of course I know where you are. How else would I make sure you're safe."

"Last I recall, I wasn't your little sister anymore. In fact, I was nothing to you." Rebekah snapped, the tension in the room escalating further.

Caroline glanced between the two before speaking. "I'm just going to –" she pointed to herself and then the door but neither sibling noticed as she slipped from the room.

"You knew. And you never came for me." Rebekah repeated herself.

Klaus watched her shoulders sink a little in dejection and felt that black hole of self-hatred in him grow a bit more. "You seemed to be doing fine without me," was what he said. 'You're better off without me' is what he wanted to say.

Rebekah scoffed. "Right," she said turning to leave.

"Well since you're here," she turned at the sound of his voice, "how about a drink?"

She stood there, shocked that he could be so blithe about it all. Klaus shoved a glass of amber liquid in her hand and she looked down at it before looking back up at him and sending the glass flying toward his head.

Klaus sidestepped the airborne glass and watched it shoot past him and shatter against the wall. "Now, Bekah –"

"Do not call me that." She raced forward, coming to a stop right in front of him. "The next time I see you, I hope it's to put your body in the ground at long last."

Her words were like burning darts to the chest but he told himself she didn't mean it. She couldn't mean it. Rebekah was the one person who had seen him through his worst and if she left him for good then eventually everyone would.

"You want to see me dead sister?" He asked, storming over to a safe in the corner.

Rebekah watched in confusion, all the while knowing she should have left already. Moreover, she should have never come.

Klaus opened the safe and pulled a long wooden box out, reaching to his neck to retrieve the key stashed there. He lifted the lone white oak stake from its cushion. Klaus had tracked it down and he'd tried everything from burning it to axing it but it would appear that his mother would have the last laugh in this matter because the damn thing was indestructible.

"Here," he tossed the weapon to Rebekah and she caught with unadulterated shock written across her face. "You want me dead, well here's your mark." He ripped open his shirt and traced an X right over his heart.

He watched her watch the stake with confused eyes. Klaus knew, despite everything he did and everything he was, she still loved him. She wouldn't use it. But if she did – if she truly hated him enough to want him gone forever – then he may as well die now. If Rebekah could no longer stand the monster he was, then no one else would either and it was only a matter of time before he was left alone. And that was the one thing he wouldn't bare – complete and utter solitude.

Rebekah rushed forward, pressing the tip of the stake to his chest. Klaus just lifted his head higher and locked eyes with her. After a moment she dropped the stake to the floor, tears falling freely from her eyes now. She turned to leave and was halfway out the door when Klaus spoke again.

"Stay, Rebekah."

She paused and stood there for a moment before turning around. "Why? So I can constantly compete for your attention with Caroline and your silly hybrids?"

Well there would be no negotiating the Caroline bit but he could sacrifice the few hybrids he had left. Klaus gave a dramatic sigh before saying, "fine, I'll send the hybrids away. Would that appease your offended senses?"

Rebekah watched him warily. "And how would you protect yourself from the big bad world then?"

Klaus just walked forward and took his sister's hand in his. "Family. Always and forever."


	11. The Lounge Singer and The Stranger

**The Lounge Singer and The Stranger.** _AU/AH drabble_

"He's back again."

Caroline looked up from the vanity mirror where she had been adjusting her hair and over at her friend, and fellow performer, Elena.

"Really?" Caroline asked even as she shot out of her seat and went over to peek outside the velvet curtain.

Her eyes scanned the posh lounge, skimming over the ladies in pearls and men in bowties before it landed on _him_. He was sitting at the bar, swirling a glass of amber liquid and running his fingers across his stubble covered chin. As always, he was alone. But not the kind of alone that reeked of pathetic isolation. No, it was the solitude of a man who was simply above it all. Sitting perched on that stool, he gave off an air of being untouchable. His eyes scanned the lounge with a lazy dismissiveness and Caroline pulled the curtain shut before his gaze could reach her.

"It's him." She said to Elena, although the other girl already knew.

There were plenty of regulars to this lounge – that wasn't what made this particular stranger so noteworthy to the girls. It was the fact that he only ever showed up when Caroline was performing that seemed so strange. It had taken the girls a few months to realize it - he wasn't always there when she took the stage but he was simply never there when she didn't.

"You two are being silly." Bonnie, their friend and the lounge's entertainment manager, pointed out even as she went to take a look herself.

Elena, who stood in front of the mirror fixing her makeup, said "I wonder what his name is. Probably something really hot like Heath or Julian."

"Well, we'll never know." Caroline returned to the mirror to finish her hair.

Elena shot her a look in the mirror. "We could - if you just talked to him."

"Why don't you talk to him?" She said back.

"Because I'm not the one he's here to see." Elena grinned.

"Okay you're up Caroline." Bonnie said, waving her towards the stage.

As she took the stage, Caroline felt the stranger's penetrating stare on her. Most of the patrons of the lounge continued to enjoy their drinks and there was a low lull of conversation in the room but her stranger fixed his gaze on her as if they were the only two in the room. Caroline waited for the band to start up before leaning forward and singing softly into the mic. This hadn't always been her dream- providing background music to a crowd of semi-interested people- but this stage was like a second home to her. It didn't really matter if she had everyone's attention or no one's at all, she enjoyed every moment of being up here. At any rate, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she had a certain someone's attention tonight.

The first song came to a close and before the band could pick up again, Caroline said on a whim, "To the handsome stranger at the bar - this one's for you."

As the first chords of a slow rendition of Peggy Lee's 'Fever' came from the instruments behind her, Caroline locked eyes with her stranger, wrapping her fingers around the microphone stand like a lover's caress, and began singing.

Klaus leaned back and watched his little songbird in action, unable to pull his eyes from hers. The way she stroked the microphone stand brought his attention to her graceful hands with the red-tipped fingernails. A spotlight refracted the various shades of honey and golden richness in her swept back hair that left the long column of her elegant neck bare except for a ruby teardrop that nestled in her cleavage.

She opened her mouth and it seemed as if she sang about the very fever that had consumed him every time he came to watch her sing. It was as if time hadn't just stood still, it had slipped deliciously backward. Her rendition transported him to an era long before anyone had ever thought of SUVs or smart bombs, when people slow-danced and said ma'am, and electricity was something that sparkled between lovers. With a stand-up bass, light brushes on a snare drum and lilting acoustic guitar framing the singer's candlelit jazzy vocals, she breathed new life into the ghosts of torch singers long since passed.

The red dress she wore glittered under the bright lights, hugging dangerous curves. From the deep V-halter neckline that shaped her breasts and left her entire back bare to the flattering sheath that cupped her hips. A long sexy slit played peekaboo with her creamy thigh each time she moved.

Klaus was charmed and smitten, tension and need coiling tight within him.

If someone were to call him a stalker, he supposed they wouldn't be too far off the mark. He, however, would consider himself a connoisseur of fine things and that lounge singer was one damn fine thing. There was fifty feet of space between him and the stage but he could tell when she cast her eyes down and peeked up at him through her lashes. When the song was over she turned away but throughout the rest of her set, her eyes would occasionally lock with his.

Backstage again, Caroline tried – in vain – to ignore the teasing look Elena was shooting her.

"A song for the handsome stranger, huh?" Elena asked with a playfully mocking smile.

Luckily, Bonnie shooed her onstage, saving Caroline from having to answer. She watched from offstage as Elena took the atmosphere from slow jazz to a more up-tempo beat before heading back to the dressing room to change. Once she was ready to go, she scribbled out a note for Elena letting her friend know she'd see her tomorrow before slipping out the backdoor and onto the windy Chicago streets.

Wrapping her pea coat tighter around her, Caroline strolled down the street towards the subway station. She breathed in the brisk night air, singing beneath her breath as she walked. She'd walked a few blocks when the sound of a car slowing came from behind her. Glancing over her shoulder, Caroline saw a black Lincoln town car pull up beside her. Before she could break out into a dead run down the street, the window rolled down and she stopped walking entirely.

Her stranger smirked up at her from in the car. Caroline had never seen him this up close before and slipped into a momentary daze at the sight of those scrumptious dimples and lustrous blue eyes.

"Can I offer you a ride?" His deep voice snapped her from her daze and Caroline began walking down the street again.

He must have said something to his driver because the car began to slowly glide down the street beside her. When she turned her head to the side, he was there again, still smiling out the window at her.

"I promise I'm not a serial killer. It's just a harmless ride."

Caroline fought the smile that wanted to creep onto her face and shook her head, still walking. "I don't know you."

He chuckled lightly before saying, "Well you know what they say about strangers."

She shot him a raised eyebrow as the car continued to glide alongside her.

"They're just friends waiting to happen."

"Really, 'cause I was thinking more along the lines of 'don't talk to them'." Caroline replied, losing the battle to contain her smile.

This time he let out a full laugh, throwing his head back against the leather seat. "Well, I'm Klaus. And you are?"

She hesitated a moment before giving him her name.

"Well Caroline, we're officially no longer strangers. Come on, get in." Klaus said. "James is breaking numerous traffic laws right now."

Caroline stopped walking and the town car pulled to a halt again. She shot him a contemplative look before saying, "I carry mace."

"Glad to hear it," was his reply as he threw the door open and slid over to let her in.

She settled in to the buttery leather seats and tried not to squirm under the intensity of his stare.

"So where to?" Klaus asked after a moment.

Caroline rambled off an address before turning in the seat to face her stranger.

"So, do you always pick random girls up on the street?"

He cocked his head and looked at her. "Do you always dedicate songs to random strangers?"

"How do you know it was meant for you?" Caroline held his gaze.

"Love, we both know it was meant for me."

"Maybe." She whispered with a smile.

There was another moment of silence before Klaus spoke again. "How does a girl with your talent end up singing at a lounge?"

"What do you mean?" She asked with confusion. Caroline liked her job – she could certainly do a lot worse.

"I mean," Klaus said, momentarily distracted by a strand of silky hair caught between her plump lips, "you could be singing in stadiums filled with people."

"You think I'm that good?" Caroline asked in a clearly disbelieving tone.

Klaus, surprised at her lack of faith in herself, responded, "I think anyone would be crazy to bet against you."

Caroline's cheeks flushed and Klaus found he liked that he could make her blush – women simply didn't blush anymore these days.

"So what do you do? I mean, besides cruise the streets and offer rides to strangers." Caroline asked, desperate to shift the conversation away from herself.

"A little bit of everything."

"Okay cryptic stranger with a personal driver." Caroline said with a laugh. "What, are you in the mob?" She asked playfully and Klaus just continued to drink in her features.

Leaning forward so that their noses practically brushed he said, "Would it terrify you if I said yes?"

Caroline didn't know if it was his proximity or his words that set her heart racing but she felt her breath catch in her throat and couldn't turn away.

His face broke out into a slow smile and he leaned back, saying "relax, sweetheart."

Klaus' blatant lack of denial hung in the air for a moment and Caroline questioned how she could be so curiously drawn to someone she'd met less than twenty minutes ago.

"We're here." The driver's voice broke the silence as the car pulled to a stop in front of a nightclub.

"I get the distinct impression this isn't your home." Klaus pointed out, looking out the window.

Caroline smirked. "Who said I was going home? The lounge isn't the only place I sing."

Klaus looked away from the shady club and over at Caroline, all bright hair and brighter eyes. "You don't seem the dark side type."

And she wasn't really. Her weekly gig at the club had been set up by her friend Damon, who was well acquainted with the seedier parts of town, and she'd only taken it because she needed the extra cash. But she could play the bad girl role for one night. Caroline could be every bit as mysterious and alluring as her stranger.

She hopped out of the car and shut the door behind her before leaning down and saying, "So are you coming?"

Klaus' eyebrows rose in slight surprise before he climbed out of the car and joined her on the sidewalk. Caroline just smirked as she led him wordlessly to a side door. The heat in the club neared unbearably high and the air held a smoky undertone that made it hard to see too far in front of you. Not that it mattered since all there was to see were bodies packed on more bodies.

"Wait here." Caroline said with a grin, pushing him onto a stool at the crowded bar before disappearing into the horde of people.

By the time he'd finally gotten his scotch from the bartender, Caroline reappeared – this time on stage with the band. If he hadn't seen her perform so many nights at the lounge, he would swear it was a completely different woman up there. Caroline at the lounge was sultry and jazzy. Caroline here was sexy and vivacious. Both versions of the woman had him utterly and irrefutably enthralled. Unable to really hear her over the noise of the place, Klaus was content to watch her twist and sway on the small stage.

An hour later she bounced off the stage and fifteen minutes after that she appeared in front of him again with a smile on her face.

"Amazing." He muttered- almost to himself- at the sight of her beaming up at him, glistening and bright-eyed.

"What?" She yelled, leaning closer to try to hear him over the noise but he just shook his head and gestured to the exit.

Once he'd led her outside, he pulled out his phone to call James, telling him to bring the car around. He appeared moments later and Klaus held the door open for Caroline to slide in.

"That was quite the show." He said after he shut the door behind him.

She smiled at him and whispered a thank you.

"So is it safe to assume you'll be heading home now or are there any other surprises?"

Caroline just laughed, leaning forward to give James her address.

"I guess we really aren't strangers anymore." She said as she sat back in the seat and tilted to face him. "You've gotten to live a night in the life of Caroline Forbes."

"That may be true but there's more to you than swanky lounges and seedy nightclubs." Klaus said matter-of-factly.

Caroline just stared at him before asking, "And how would you know?"

His face shifted into that slow, knowing smile again. "I'm a magnificent judge of character."

"Is that so?"

"It is." Klaus replied, self-assuredly and with a smile. "I've got unparalleled instincts for these things."

"Oh, and what are your instincts saying about me?" Caroline asked, genuinely curious.

His face turned serious and he paused for a moment before answering. "That you're confident and coy but not without a bit of vulnerability. That you've got a hint of danger in you but it's not your whole life, you're too sensible for that. And numerous other things that a gentleman wouldn't say."

Caroline felt strangely intoxicated by his words but tried to play it off with a quip. "And you're sure that last bit is just your instincts talking?"

"I'm a perceptive man. I'd be lying if I said my body wasn't taking careful note of certain things."

That perception must have been rubbing off on Caroline because she was suddenly acutely aware of just about every little motion and detail of his body. She was also aware of how the car now seemed hotter and the air seemed in short supply. She wasn't, however, aware of how much time had passed when the car pulled to a stop.

Tearing her gaze from his, she looked out the window to see they'd arrived at her house. When she turned again, she found Klaus gazing at her intently.

"Would it be too forward of me to ask for a kiss goodnight?" He asked, reaching a hand up to feel a strand of that silky hair.

"Yes." Caroline replied, even as she subconsciously leaned in and her lips parted.

Klaus watched that slow parting of her lips with a subdued groan. "Well if you knew what images were racing through my mind right now, you'd see that I'm showing unimaginable restraint by requesting only a kiss."

"Then you should act fast before I change my mind." Caroline whispered.

Klaus leaned in close and she waited for the feel of his mouth on hers but his warm breath fanned her neck and his lips brushed the lobe of her ear before grazing over her cheek. His mouth hovered over hers, but didn't descend, just tantalized. Her lips tingled in anticipation, but he kissed the corner of her mouth, pressing his jaw along hers. Finally he pressed his lips to hers, and she sighed into the kiss. She opened her mouth to him and braced herself for the invasion of his tongue. It was subtle when it came, not a rush at her defenses, but a careful, enticing dance that left her shivering. He brought every nerve ending to life, to the point of dizzying torment. Unable to take it slow, her devouring mouth pressed hard against his. Her tongue swept into his mouth and tangled with his and she tasted the pure, unadulterated sensuality that seemed to be so much a part of him. Caroline shivered, unable to stop the sultry ache spreading through her belly. She felt a low growl rumble up from his chest. Klaus palmed the back of her head to hold her in place and slanted his mouth across hers, taking control of the kiss. He deepened the kiss, voracious and hungry, nipping at her lips as he cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks.

Caroline sincerely considered forfeiting ever breathing again just to stay lip-locked with him like this but the choice was taken away from her when Klaus pulled back, leaving them both breathing heavily.

"Tell me more about those images in your mind." She said, still working to get her breathing under control.

Klaus looked at her and she felt her pulse start racing again at the hunger she saw darkening his eyes. "Don't tempt me Caroline." He growled.

"So, this is goodbye then." Caroline said, with her hand on the door.

"This is goodnight." Klaus replied and Caroline smiled before climbing out of the car.

He watched his little songbird race up the stairs and into the house and, from the window, she watched her stranger drive off into the night.


	12. The Leaver and The Returnee

**The Leaver and The Returnee. **_AU/AH drabble_

He needs this.

It's all Caroline can tell herself right now. She's doing what's right for them both.

"It won't fit miss." The taxi driver held up the smallest of her luggage. Blue with faded gold strips. An uncanny resemblance to the dull and faded tone her life had taken on in the past few months. "It'll have to sit in the back seat next to you."

She just nodded her head and climbed into the backseat, beside the bag. She fought the urge to turn her head and look up at the spacious and cozy house she was leaving behind. She didn't have to see to see it; the memories of it were already etched in her mind in great detail. She couldn't forget it if she tried.

He needs this.

Caroline reminded herself again of why she was leaving. Just up and leaving after spending almost three years in that house. Three years with Nik. If you could call it three full years, considering the amount of time he spent on the road. No, this house was definitely more her than it was him. And that was part of the problem. Three years spent turning this house into a home. But it was a home for just her. And she can't blame him for that, no matter how hard she had tried. It was his dream job, playing music, that had paid for the house. It was his dream job that kept him on the road for so many months at a time. But it's still his dream and she can't bring herself to stand in the way of that. And while she wants him to continue enjoying living out his musical career, she can't sit idly by and wait anymore. She can't be that girlfriend. Caroline had never considered herself the clingy type, in fact she strove to be independent, but she needs a boyfriend that she can actually spend time with. She needs more than late night phone calls and short, benign emails. And he needs someone who can be there for him - someone who lives for late night phone calls and short, benign emails.

He needs this.

* * *

She needs this.

Klaus had spent hours on end explaining it his team of managers and publicists. He was only two months into a four month tour but that means it's been two months since he'd last seen Caroline. And even longer since they last spent any real time together. After hours of arguing his team finally agreed to let him fly back home. It seems almost silly to fly back across the nation for just two days but he's doing it anyway. He would have a few days off before it was back to the grind of performing and interviews. His team and his fans needed him. Caroline needs him more.

She needs this.

She didn't know he was coming home so it would make the perfect belated birthday gift. A week and a half late to be specific. The night of her birthday, they'd talked for only a few minutes before he wished her a happy birthday and had to leave to take the stage. Klaus didn't have time to feel like an awful excuse for a boyfriend until later that night. So going home to celebrate her birthday, late, would be a good thing.

Oddly enough, it had been a few days after her birthday that he had met Caroline. When he wasn't on tour, Thursday nights were always poker nights for he and his brothers. He'd been fresh off of tour and it was his turn to host the game. Usually it was just the guys but when Kol said he wanted to bring a friend from college that he hadn't seen in a while, they agreed to make an exception. Neither he nor Elijah had expected him to show up with Caroline- a gorgeous, hot-tempered bombshell. Apparently she'd learned a little poker from her ball-busting mother and didn't see why she shouldn't be able to participate in a guys' poker night. Truth be told she was damn good. But he was better. And after whooping her ass at the poker game Klaus teased her relentlessly, and playfully, about poker being a man's game. But while he might have held the upper hand in a game of Texas Hold 'Em, Caroline had all the power in a much stronger game. Seduction.

A man didn't have a chance in that game. Women made the rules. They knew when to draw, when to stand pat, and when to bluff. A shrewd player wouldn't even sit down at the table. Then again, when were men ever smart when it came to sex? If a man wanted a woman bad enough, his body took over. His muscles got hard, his brains got soft, and pretty soon he was playing her game. Poor sucker knew he'd end up compromising his soul to have her. But he played anyway.

And when it came to Caroline's high-stakes game of seduction, Klaus was the poor sucker. And soon enough the game of seduction turned into something more. How could it not? She was everything he looked for in a woman. Carefree but not insane, a partier but with an edge of class, gorgeous, independent, he could go on for hours.

A sudden jolt of the taxi pulled Klaus from his thoughts and he glanced quickly out the taxi window. They'd left the airport an hour ago and now he was only twenty minutes away from the house he shared with Caroline but traffic looked like it was going to hold them up for a while.

'Damn it', he muttered to himself and reached into his pocket, dropping the contents into his lap. Knowing that this ride was going to take a while longer he let thoughts of his first time with Caroline come back to mind.

* * *

Caroline let thoughts of her last time with Nik come to mind.

She couldn't help it. This taxi was taking her further and further away from him but her thoughts just wouldn't stray far from Nik. She hadn't expected the last time they were together to actually be the last time.

It had been about two months ago, right before he left for tour. Earlier that week he had casually let it slip that he would be going on tour for four months. He told Caroline this two days before he was set to leave. In the past that type of thing might have upset her; now it was to be expected. She couldn't even find enough energy to argue about it. He was leaving again; nothing new about that. He'd forgotten to tell her again; old news. So she let it slide and they moved on. The day he left they had a mediocre breakfast together, shared a few quick pecks and off he went.

Except this time Caroline couldn't deal with it. She wouldn't deal with it. She and Nik had a good run but it was just time for them both to move on.

She felt the slight vibration of her phone in her bag and yanked it out, all too happy for a distraction from her thoughts.

It was a text from her friend Matt asking when her flight would land.

Caroline had already told him over six times but she was in no position to complain. She was incredibly lucky to have a friend that was willing to take her in at the drop of a dime when she decided she would give moving back to her hometown a try.

She texted him back letting him know what time her flight would land. Once the message was sent she tossed her phone on top of the suitcase that sat beside her. With nothing else to distract her, she decided she would rather focus her thoughts on her surroundings than on Nik.

She looked up and out the window to realize that they were still in the same spot they had been in five minutes ago. Her luck would have it that she ran into traffic when she had a plane to catch. Caroline let out a frustrated growl before attempting to calm herself down. She's supposed to be happy right now, not groaning and moaning. All of this should be a good thing.

She's moving forward. Away from the past, towards something hopefully new. Towards a better fit for her life. A huge, scary leap forward. Well, inching forward at the pace this taxi is moving.

* * *

He's moving backwards. Back to when he and Caroline were happy together, before things got so glaringly messed up. Back to when he was what made her happy. A slow journey back, at the pace this taxi is moving.

"Whatcha got there?" The taxi driver asked, looking at Klaus through the rear-view mirror.

He had been so caught up in his thoughts he hadn't realized he'd been idly tossing the contents of his pocket back and forth in his hands.

"Nothing." Klaus responded easily. What he held in his hand was a far cry from 'nothing' but not exactly something he wanted to share with a taxi driver. He just wanted to get home to Caroline.

He hadn't realized how much he missed her until he boarded the plane. It wasn't until he had a moment's rest that thoughts of her started to fill his mind. Between playing shows, meeting fans, and doing interviews it was easy to let his personal life take the backseat. Far too easy. Caroline had been taking the backseat for too long and it was going to stop starting now. It didn't have to be an either or situation. He could focus on both his career and Caroline simultaneously. He knew plenty of musicians that had done it successfully. It was time that he stopped being so inexplicably lazy and a pathetic excuse for a boyfriend. It was time for him to show Caroline how much she really means to him. Show her how he had no chance of continuing with his career without her by his side. Show her that he needs her. Wants her. Craves her. Loves her.

It seemed ridiculous that it took him this long to realize all of this but now that he had realized it - there was no letting her go. Fidgeting around some more, he waited impatiently for traffic to finally speed up. Unable to just stare at his fucking hands for much longer, he turned his attention to the window.

He looked out and, in a one of those bizarre coincidences, caught the eye of the person in the taxi beside his.

* * *

She looked up and, in what could only be defined as terrible luck, caught the eye of the person in the taxi beside hers.

Not just any person. The person. The person she had just been trying to escape. Either Caroline was losing her mind or Klaus was sitting in the taxi trapped in traffic just a few feet from hers. She choked a little on nothing but air and tried to get her mind under control.

What the hell was going on?

What was he doing here?

Where was he going?

The questions were coming to mind faster than she could think up answers. Considering the direction his taxi was facing, Caroline guessed he was headed home. But why? His tour wasn't over for at least another two months and they hadn't spoken in at least a week and a half. He hadn't called to let her know he was coming home early.

And suddenly the look on Nik's face made Caroline forget all about the questions she was asking herself. She looked away from the window and towards the suitcase sitting beside her before looking back out at Nik. There was no chance in hell that he hadn't spotted it. The look on his face made it undeniable that he had seen the bag beside her.

Caroline jumped a little at the sound of Nik's personalized ringtone coming from her phone. She looked out the window to see him holding his phone to his ear and waiting expectantly. Her head played ping pong, looking from the phone to him and back towards the phone. She gave the phone a look that someone might give a poisonous snake. She almost wished it was a snake, its bite might be better than Nik's would be.

"Are you going to answer that?" The taxi driver asked, clearly annoyed at being stuck in traffic and forced to listen to her phone ringing.

She grabbed the phone and answered it, looking back out her window at Klaus.

"Where are you going and why didn't you tell me first?" There was no 'hello' or 'hey, how's it been'.

She didn't respond for a moment, instead opting to just watch him. It was a weird experience, being able to see him just a few feet away but hearing his voice through the phone. Klaus rose one eyebrow and waited impatiently for Caroline to respond.

Instinctively, she fought back to his less than kind words.

"Where am I going? Nik, where the hell are you going? You're supposed to be on tour right now." She avoided answering his question.

"That's not the point. Why is it that you're packed to go somewhere and I know nothing about it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was there a point when I had to start letting you know my every move? Would you like me to call you every time I go to the grocery store as well?"

"Stop fucking around. I think I have a right to know when my girlfriend decides to take off on vacation or whatever this is."

"This coming from the man who lets his girlfriend know he's going on tour two days before he leaves."

"At least I told you!"

"Yeah, well I was going to tell you." Lie. "I didn't think it would matter all that much since you were on tour anyway." Another lie. "Besides, that gives you no right to yell at me."

Caroline both heard and saw Nik let out a frustrated groan.

"You know what, you're right, love. I'm not looking for a fight right now." He shook his head as if to clear his anger.

It's almost weird but she sort of liked the miniature fight. There was more passion and actual interest in that one tiny argument than they had shared with each other in the past few months. It's really sad that they had gotten to such a point.

"Well, please tell me where you're going. I came home to surprise you and I'm only here for a few days so can you delay whatever trip it is you're taking?" Nik's words pulled Caroline from her thoughts about their disintegrating relationship.

A trip. That's what he thought this was. Well of course he would think it's only a trip; all he saw was the one suitcase beside her. He didn't know about all the bags squeezed into the trunk. He didn't know she was leaving him.

Caroline hadn't meant to ever actually tell him. She just assumed that he would return home in a few months and find that the house was half empty. She knew it was a cruel thing to do but she'd never been good with goodbyes. But she supposed that didn't matter now. She had to tell him.

"Nik, I-" Caroline stopped talking and instead looked out the window at him. Traffic was slowly inching forward on both sides and the distance between them was starting to grow. Ironic.

She heard nothing but slight breathing on the other end of the line while Klaus waited to hear what she had to say.

"I'm leaving." Caroline whispered.

* * *

"I'm leaving." She whispered.

Klaus couldn't comprehend the feeling that hit him. He couldn't think of a time when he'd felt so unbearably…fucked. Like having his guitar slammed repeatedly into his chest until he couldn't breathe anymore. And even that seemed like an inadequate description.

"You're what?" he asked.

Klaus wanted to believe that he had misunderstood her. That she hadn't said the word leaving. Or that she simply meant she was leaving and would be back in a few days.

"I can't do it anymore, Nik. I wish I could. I wish we could. But maybe it's time we both just stopped trying so hard to make this work. It hasn't been working and love shouldn't have to be this hard. Loving you shouldn't mean only talking once a week at 3 in the morning. Loving you shouldn't mean only seeing you for a few days at a time and even then feeling like we're not actually together. Loving you shouldn't feel like a chore." She ranted and though her cab had moved further ahead so he could no longer see her, Klaus could still picture the look on her face. The anger. The defeat. The hopelessness.

Part of him couldn't believe that she had felt this way for the past few months. But of course she felt like this relationship was a lost cause. She thought it was so much work because he wasn't working at it and she had to pick up the slack. He shouldn't be so surprised that the relationship fell entirely on her shoulders and left her feeling trapped. Left her feeling like she had to secretly leave him, like a woman slipping away after a one night stand.

Klaus couldn't remember a time before this when he'd felt like such a colossal failure. He thought he'd had it all. The fame, the money, the career, the friends, etc. So caught up in everything else that he had that he had managed to forget about one of the most important things. An amazing woman that he loved and could picture spending forever with. But that was the one thing he had managed to let that slip away.

"I have to go." Caroline's voice flowed through his phone and snapped him from his self-berating thoughts.

She wanted to go but she wasn't gone yet and he'd hate to live with himself if he let her leave.

"Don't do this." It seemed like a step in the right direction to get her to stay. "Let's talk about it first."

Talk. That's something they rarely did and if she gave him the chance now he would talk until she's sick of him. He'd let her know exactly how much she meant to him, how much of a failure he had been, how willing he was to do anything to get her to stay. Be anything to get her to stay. The perfect boyfriend, the perfect cook, the perfect lover, the perfect housekeeper. He'd be whatever she needed him to be.

"Talk." She scoffed as if the thought was unheard of. "We've been talking for the past few months, Klaus, but nothing's ever really being said. I have to go. Bye, Nik."

Before Klaus could protest, he got the dial tone. He laughed humorlessly to himself. They'd known each other for three years. She knows him, flaws and all, better than most of the people he knew. She must be entirely insane if she thinks he's the type of guy that's going to just sit back and let her walk out of his life.

Klaus grabbed the little box he had been fiddling with the entire ride and threw the cab door open. Ignoring the yells of the driver, he hopped out of the cab and began sprinting down the street in the direction Caroline's taxi was moving. Luckily for him, traffic was still fairly bad so she hadn't gotten too far away.

Car horns honked and people yelled but Klaus ignored it as he raced forward to catch up with her taxi. He spotted the cab and ran right up to it, banging on the window.

Caroline looked up and her face showed a mixture of shock and anger. He gestured for her to open the door and she shook her head no, shooting him a glare. Klaus could hear her taxi driver yelling, no doubt about the commotion he was causing.

Well if she wasn't going to open the door than she wasn't going anywhere. He leapt over the hood of the taxi, much to the driver's dismay, and stood directly in front of it. Klaus slammed his hands down on the hood and looked into the taxi, straight at Caroline. The driver stuck his head out of the window and began yelling obscenities at him. By now other drivers were sticking their heads out the windows to see what the hell was going on. Klaus ignored them all and continued his stare down with Caroline.

"Caroline, I love you and I refuse to let you just waltz out of my life." He spoke loudly to insure that she heard him through the window. This also resulted in everyone in the surrounding cars hearing him.

Finally she rolled down her window and stuck her head out.

"Get your crazy ass out of the street." She yelled at him.

"Not until you agree to turn around and go home. Our home." He smirked at the angry look on her face.

"No!" She shouted, sticking her head back in the window and crossing her arms over her chest.

Fine, so this is how she wanted to do it. This is far from how Klaus had envisioned it in his mind but with Caroline ready to hop on a plane, he didn't really have time to do things the way he had planned.

Instead he hopped onto the hood of the taxi and bent on one knee. Klaus pulled the small black box from his pocket and held it open in front of the taxi window.

"Marry me."

* * *

"Marry me."

Caroline swore for a second her heart actually stopped. Of all the insane things she's watched this man do, this entire scenario was definitely climbing its way to the top with each passing moment.

The taxi driver stopped yelling at Nik and instead turned to face her. Car horns that had previously been honking wildly, suddenly stopped. It was then that it hit her even harder what he had just said. Marriage. A ring. A wedding type deal. 'Til death do us part'. In traffic, on top of a taxi.

Caroline let out a breathe she hadn't realized she'd been holding and tried to pull herself together. She threw the door of the taxi open and stepped outside. The crowd of bored drivers stuck in traffic became loud again.

'Say yes' some of them chanted. Others just screamed for Klaus to get out of the street. Car horns blaring, people yelling, and Nik there on one knee holding out an insanely gorgeous diamond ring. It was sensory overload. She was caught somewhere between, laughing, crying, yelling or quite possibly fainting.

"What do you say?" Nik asked as she reached him.

She paused for a moment before saying exactly what was on her mind.

"Get in the cab."

He looked confused for a moment before smiling a little and hopping off of the hood. She grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled him into the cab beside her, a feat that would have been much harder had Klaus not been all too willing to let her pull him.

Once they were both in the taxi and the door was shut she finally faced Nik.

"You're kind of leaving me hanging here, sweetheart." He said with a slight smile.

Caroline didn't reply and just stared from him to the ring and back at him again.

"Marry me, Caroline?"

She took a deep breath and looked right into Nik's gorgeous blue eyes.

"No."

"No?!" He practically shouted, clearly more than a little shocked.

"No." She parroted. "For god's sake do you not see what's happening here? I'm on my way to catch a plane straight out of your life."

"Yeah, because I've been nothing but a terrible excuse of a man for the past few months! I see that now and trust me, Caroline, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make it up to you and then some. I love you and I know you still love me. Don't throw this away just because I messed up. Please, just give me a chance to fix it. Give me a chance to make you happy again." As Klaus spoke, he grabbed her hands and stroked her hair.

She couldn't help but lean a little into his touch. He was right. Despite everything that had happened in the past few months, despite them drifting apart a little, he was still the same Nik she had fallen in love with. Putting miles between her and that love wouldn't make it disappear. Moving back to Mystic Falls wouldn't make the feelings go away and she was stupid to think that it would.

But it would take more than a ring to fix the cracks in their relationship. And as much as Caroline wanted to commit herself to him for a lifetime, she wasn't entirely sure it was something he really wanted. What she wanted aside, she had to be sure that he was sure.

"Nik, are you sure about this or are you only doing this because you think it's the only thing that will keep me around. I mean really think about it. We're young! You've got a fabulous job that takes you around the world, hordes of women throwing themselves at you on a nightly basis-"

"I don't want any of them. I want you. And I don't think I could ever stop wanting you. I wouldn't know how. And I wouldn't want to even if I could."

His words were almost as intoxicating as the way he was looking at her. It had been so long since she'd seen that look on his face. The look that showed Caroline how much he cared about her, how much he needed her, loved her.

Before she could respond, Klaus' lips were on hers. She tangled her fingers in his hair and practically climbed onto his lap. She was starting to run out of breath when Klaus finally pulled away from the heated kiss.

"Let's try this again." He said, gently rotating to get them in a slightly more comfortable position. "There's not much room in here so I guess I'm not getting down on one knee but for the third time, Caroline, will you marry me?" He asked with a smile on his face and ran his fingers idly through her hair.

"Yes." She breathed out before attacking him again with her lips.

A few moments later they were interrupted by the sound of the taxi driver fake coughing. They both pulled away to glance at the taxi driver who had a wide smirk on his face.

"So, where to?"


	13. The One Where She Drinks From Him

**The One Where She Drinks From Him**

She never took from the same place twice.

When she drank from him, Caroline always chose her spot wisely. Straddling his waist on his four poster bed, she surveyed Klaus' body with contemplative eyes. He watched her watch him in silence, her nimble fingers tracing invisible patterns on his chest. She traced the veins along his neck and he relaxed into her touch, content to let her take her time. Finally she brought her index finger to his chest and pressed down, slicing a thin line right above his heart. A small drop of blood ran down his pale chest and pooled in his navel before Caroline leaned over and lapped it up, licking her way back up his happy trail. Klaus was a generous man and he let her have her fun but his patience ran dry and he flipped the two over before Caroline could react.

When he drank from her, it was always the same. That one spot right above her delicate collarbone. The spot that he knew would send sparks shooting along her body. It was a slow pumping vein so he could take his time, sucking to coax the blood out and leaving his mark in the process. She moaned at the feel of his stubble grazing her skin and Klaus thought to himself that he could do this all day just to hear that breathy noise leave her mouth again and again. But Caroline had other plans, grinding her hips up against his. He smirked against her skin, his hands wandering up from the backs of her knees to her ass, caressing and smoothing over the skin.

"Feeling frisky, love?" He muttered with a laugh against her ears.

"You know I am." Caroline replied with a frustrated growl. It was the effect his blood had on her, almost as if her own blood was boiling at the anticipation of him in her.

In no mood to let her off easy, Klaus skimmed his fingers along her folds, pulling back when her hips bucked up in an attempt to force his fingers deeper.

"Ah, ah, ah." He tsked, spreading her moisture along her inner thighs. "Slow down, sweetheart."

"I don't want slow." Caroline growled, her hips flailing, desperate for any friction.

Klaus' hands slid up her lower back, making her tremble, then to her front where they cupped her breasts and plucked at her nipples. She glanced down, amazed at how big his hands were on her pert chest. His fingers were faintly rough—calloused, she guessed—and rasped at the sensitive buds exquisitely. It was one of the things she enjoyed most about him – his attention to detail. In the past her boyfriends had fondled them, but not _loved_them. Not shown them the attention Klaus knew exactly how to show them. The fleshy mounds weren't tiny, certainly not huge either, but they seemed to fit perfectly in the palm of his hands. He rolled the nubs in his fingers and she sucked in a breath.

Reveling in her reaction, Klaus continued to toy with her breasts. "You're so sensitive here." He said, delightfully. "I wonder how you'd feel if I drank from you here." He muttered contemplatively while tracing small circles around her nipples.

Before Caroline could give her two cents on the thought, Klaus dipped his head and broke the skin right above her nipple with his teeth. She let out a gasp, her fingers gripping his hair and pressing his face further into his chest. After a few clit-throbbing moments, Klaus pulled away, careful to lap up every drop of blood. He took a moment to admire his work. Her skin reddened from his scruff - smooth, silky skin that pinkened whenever he touched her. He dipped his head to give the other breast the same five-star treatment and this time by the time he pulled away Caroline was all but panting, her fingers imposing a borderline painful grip on his hair.

Reaching down between their bodies, Klaus lined his length up at her folds. Sheer willpower kept him from plunging into the wet heat engulfing his cock. Sweat beaded on his forehead and top lip, his hips flexed and one more inch was sheathed by her pussy.

"Caroline, you're killing me, sweetheart." He rested his forehead on hers.

"Sure, I can see where this is all my fault." She panted and wriggled her ass up, drawing another inch in.

Klaus let out an unabashed groan, gripping her hips to hold her in place. He wanted to take his time and if he let her have her way it'd be over all too soon. He tilted his head down and watched as he slid inch after agonizing inch into her folds, enthralled by the sight of her taking him in.

"Christ, you feel so good." He thrust into her, slapping her back against the bed, no longer able to control himself.

"More." Her head thrashed and she tried to free her hips from his grip with an anguished cry.

"Everything." Sweat beaded on Klaus' forehead as he worked himself in and out of her.

His fingers slid along her belly, dipping into her navel and through the curls covering her mound to settle on her clit.

"Oh God." Caroline's entire body stiffened as Klaus found the bundle of nerves at the top of her slit. She arched her back, mewling like a wildcat and squeezing his cock in a vise. He felt her orgasm build and worked her through it, delivering shorter, harder thrusts and whispering in her ear.

Caroline exploded around him, her fingers gripping him tight enough to draw blood. As she came down from her orgasm, Klaus slowed his motions, fucking her with leisurely, lazy thrusts. He particularly liked fucking her in this post-orgasmic state, loose and pliant in his arms, just taking all that he had to give. Caroline liked it too, her already too sensitive nerves put on higher alert from the earth-shattering orgasm.

They moved like this, slow and steady, for a while longer before Klaus felt his orgasm build. Intent on dragging her over the edge with him, he brought his hands down to her ass, lifting her at an angle so that her clit rubbed against his pelvic bone with each thrust. Caroline felt it build again and sunk her teeth into his shoulder, drinking from him as they both descended into uncontrollable shudders.

After a few seconds, Klaus rolled over, pulling Caroline on top of him. She nipped playfully at the taut skin of his chest while he buried his fingers in her hair. This was always the best part, for them both. The blood and the sex were nice but the comfort and love was everything.


	14. The One Where She Begs Him

**The One Where She Begs Him**

"Caroline, love, you disappoint me."

Klaus turned around and Caroline's breath caught at the feral look in his eyes. Glancing over his shoulder, she caught sight of Stefan and Damon, strung from bloodied chains that hung from the ceiling. Stefan's eyes were shut and his head draped forward listlessly. Damon's eyes, on the other hand, were wide open and she could see the defeat and suffering swirling in them.

"I disappoint you?" Caroline asked slowly, watching Klaus warily. There would be no clever scheme to free the Salvatore boys. He'd be prepared for every possible plan. The only way to get them out would be to convince Klaus to let them go willingly. And the only way to do that would be to play along.

"Constantly undervaluing your own life. You would risk yourself to save the likes of these two?" He wiped the blood off his hands with a red-stained dish towel before making his way closer to Caroline.

"I'm not in any danger." She said, holding her head high and 100% believing what she was saying. He wouldn't kill her.

Klaus came to a stop right in front of her, whispering beneath his breath, "so confident." He brought his hand up to her smooth neck, tracing the vein there with his thumb. "Such a beautiful neck. Don't make me snap it sweetheart." His affectionate tone was at odds with his harsh words.

"You wouldn't." Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest.

And Klaus hated that she was right. He loathed that he couldn't bring himself to hurt her. Despised that he'd tear his own heart out before lifting a finger to injure such a perfect specimen. And he most definitely hated that she knew it.

"Did Elena send you?" He asked, nonchalantly, as if he wasn't a dangerous killer currently torturing her friends. "She must be so worried. Well tell her to fear not. She'll be joining them soon enough. Now run along, I'd rather you didn't witness this."

"Then don't do it." She bit out, her heart plummeting at the thought that she had actually failed and he would kill them.

Klaus rolled his eyes, swiftly losing patience with this conversation. "Caroline, they desiccated me and would have buried me at the bottom of the ocean. Don't confuse my fondness for you with weakness – I'm not going to negotiate their punishment with you."

"Then just give us time." Caroline said, grasping at straws now. "You want your hybrids more than anything else right? What if Bonnie could find a way? Give us 'til tonight then maybe we could make a trade." She knew there was no way but it would buy them time to come up with a new plan.

Klaus sighed. Their little band of misfits consistently failed to comprehend just what his thousand year existence meant. Like how he knew no witch, especially one as inexperienced as Bonnie, could get him what he wanted. Or like how he could tell when someone was lying, which Caroline clearly was. But no matter – he'd humor her.

"Sweetheart, I have every intention of taking my time." He said with a smile before his face turned serious. "But don't be so foolish as to return with some poorly concocted plan to free them because, make no mistake, if your friends show up here I **will** kill them on sight." He growled, leaning in close so she could see just how serious he was in his eyes.

With one last glance over her shoulder at the Salvatore guys, she dashed out of the house. She let herself into the Gilbert home and found Elena pacing there.

"What'd he say?" The frazzled brunette asked, rushing forward.

Caroline just cast her eyes to the floor and shook her head.

"We have to go after them." Elena said, already halfway to the door.

"Elena, no." The older vampire flashed in front of her friend, blocking her exit.

"You can't be serious." She said, preparing to fight the blonde. "All they've ever done is rescue me and now you want me to just let them die."

Caroline shook her head. "If you go there then you all die and what good comes from that? I told him to give us until tonight to find a way for him to produce hybrids so we can make a trade."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

"We can't." Caroline shrugged. "But there is one other thing he wants."

Elena waited for her friend to explain.

"Me."

"Caroline, no." Elena said without giving it a second thought.

Expecting this reaction, she put her hands on her friend's shoulders and explained. "He won't hurt me. And it'll only be for a while. I'll find my way back, I promise."

Humming an old tune to himself, Klaus watched in fascination as the razor-sharp knife sliced through Stefan's skin like it was butter. The other vampire's anguished groan was like a joyous melody to Klaus.

"The trick is," he said to no one in particular, "to wait for your weakened body to attempt to heal itself. And just when the nerves begin to stitch themselves back together…" the vervain tipped knife ripped through Stefan's skin again and he yelled.

"If you kill us," Damon managed to string words together, wanting to draw the hybrid's attention away from his brother, "Caroline will never forgive you."

"She'll have an eternity to get over it. And you'd be surprised what I can accomplish in an eternity." He tapped the bloody knife against Damon's cheek with a smirk.

"We were friends." Stefan coughed out and Klaus turned to him.

"We were." He nodded. "And then you betrayed me."

Stefan's body drooped forward, the chains tightening around his wrist at the exerted force. "You were a threat to the woman I love. You would have done the same for Caroline."

Klaus contemplated his words before saying, "yes I would have. But the difference between you and I is that I would have succeeded." At that he plunged his hand into Stefan's chest. "It's this heart of yours. It weakens you." Klaus explained as if he was talking to a child.

"Not something you'd know anything about. No one's ever loved you." Damon taunted Klaus in another attempt to draw the original's attention to him.

The hybrid sighed dramatically. The Salvatore brothers' constant need to sacrifice themselves for each other was just so boring. "Fine. Since you're so eager for your turn Damon." Klaus reached up and snapped the chain holding Stefan up and he crumpled to the floor. "The vervain should be drained from your system." He gripped Stefan's tattered shirt in his hands and yanked him into a standing position, shoving a stake into his hand before compelling him to use it on Damon. Watching Stefan torture his own brother would be far more entertaining than doing it himself.

Klaus was settling in to watch the show when the familiar scent of Caroline filled the room again. Klaus turned and she stood in his foyer for the second time today.

"Welcome back love. Am I to believe you found a solution to my hybrid problem so quickly?" He asked with a smirk.

"No but I found a solution to my hybrid problem." She snapped and he just laughed. "I can offer you something else."

"Oh really?" He asked, intrigued.

The sound of Damon's agonized groans filled the room and Caroline's eyes darted to Stefan holding the stake lodged in his brother's stomach.

Klaus just grinned. "What was it you were offering me?"

She took a deep breath before saying, "me."

He raised both eyebrows and just stared at her. His eyes looked her up and down and he said, "Caroline, love, I want you but not even the promise of that hot little body will stop me from exacting my revenge."

"I wasn't offering you my body." She bit out, "I'm offering you companionship. You want a hybrid family to follow you around – well you can have me instead."

Klaus just smirked at her. "Sorry love, no deal."

Caroline felt her heart plunge in her chest. She couldn't go back for a second time and tell her friend that she had failed. Not thinking, Caroline rushed forward and grabbed a stake off the table where Klaus had laid out his devices. He could have stopped her but instead watched her with a patronizing smile. "You know you can't kill me with that. You may remember, I'm invincible."

"Yes but I'm not." Caroline brought the stake to her chest and the smile immediately fell from Klaus' face. She didn't know how she could trust that he wouldn't let her kill herself but she instinctively did. "If you kill them then I'll kill myself."

Klaus was impressed by her loyalty to her friends but was far more enraged at her complete disregard for her own life.

"Let's renegotiate." Klaus said, cocking his head to the side and watching her. "I let these two fools go and you leave town with me."

Caroline shot him a skeptical look. "I thought you didn't want to take that deal."

"Well given recent developments" he gestured to the stake she held to her chest, "I've reconsidered."

"Let them go first." She said, watching him with wary eyes.

Klaus freed Stefan from his compulsion before breaking the chains holding Damon up. The brothers struggled to hold each other up and Caroline put the stake down to go over and help them. Before she could move toward the two, Klaus was standing in front of her, his hands gripping her shoulders.

"If you ever threaten to take your own life again I will lock you up and you'll never see another pencil let alone a stake." He snarled, his fingers bruising her shoulders with the force he exerted. "Do you understand me Caroline?"

She nodded, trying not to meet his eyes.

"Say the words, Caroline." He growled.

"I understand." She said, still put off kilter by the intensity of his reaction.

She tried again to move toward the Salvatore brothers but again Klaus blocked her path. "Not so fast love, we have a deal remember." He leaned in and brushed his lips along her cheek before bringing them up to her ear. "And make no mistake, I'll be taking more than just your companionship."

She pulled back, ignoring her body's instantaneous reaction to him, and shot him a glare. "I didn't figure you for the type to force yourself on a girl."

He just gave her a slow, dirty smile. "Oh it won't be force Caroline. In fact, I have every intention of making you beg for it."

She stumbled back at the hunger in his tone and he let her, freeing her arms from his grip. She looked behind him at the Salvatore brothers who both gave her a look that said they were equal parts grateful for and saddened by her sacrifice. Caroline gave them a nod and they returned it before taking off.

"So selfless." Klaus said, yanking her back into his arms. "You must know they would always trade you for their doppleganger." His words stung, at odds with the hand stroking her chin. "But I never would. I'd never put anyone before you Caroline." Klaus spoke and surprised himself with how much he meant it.

"Lucky me." She muttered beneath her breath, strategically ignoring his wandering fingers.

"I'm going to show you just how lucky you're going to be with me." And before she could respond, Klaus lifted her in his arms and dashed up the stairs.

Caroline didn't have time to take in his bedroom before she was tossed on the bed and he landed on her with the agility of a lethal jungle cat.

"You don't waste any time." Caroline bit out, hiding her inexplicable need for him behind quips.

"I've wasted months waiting for you." Klaus replied, his voice silky smooth, heated.

Caroline trembled at the low, seductive quality of his voice. It traveled through her body, tightening her core, making her breasts swell, the nipples bead in anticipation. Her entire body felt flushed, hot. She tried to conjure up the images of him less than twenty minutes ago, hands stained with the blood of her friends. But her mind and body were disconnected because she couldn't slow down her physical reaction to him. His hand moved, the backs of his fingers caressing a trail of fire to the upper mounds of her heaving breasts.

"Mine," he whispered.

Her eyes widened at the possessive note in his voice.

"I don't think so." She wanted to wince at the raspy, rough quality of her voice. "I belong to no one, Klaus. Least of all you."

So why was her body screaming out in denial? She could feel the bare lips of her heat moistening as her body prepared itself for his possession. Her skin tingled, her mouth watered at the thought of his kiss.

"All mine," he growled as he tore her shirt from her body.

Klaus' hand moved lazily from her stomach, his eyes tracking each move, his fingers trailing between her thighs before retreating and tracing the same pattern back up to her breasts. One hand toyed with her hard nipples while the other worked on freeing her from her jeans. Once he had her gloriously bare, he slid his way down her body. His hands pushed her legs wider apart to make room for the width of his shoulders as he settled in between them. His soft, blonde hair tickled her skin as he lowered his head, the silky touch of his tongue both a relief and pure torment, wringing a husky moan from her. Klaus laved her in sleek strokes and she gasped when he put one long finger, then two, deep inside her, and then gradually withdrew them, only to sink back into her in a slow, languid thrust.

On the verge of spiraling apart, her body quaked with need and her inner muscles contracted. She heard herself whimper, arched into his skillful mouth and her body begged him to finally end the fierce, burning ache he'd stoked within her.

But her body begging wasn't enough. Klaus wanted to hear the words leave her mouth - wanted to hear her admit to wanting this, admit to being his for the taking. He waited for her to be on the very precipice before abruptly pulling back. Her hips arched again, chasing his mouth and fingers but he worked his way back up her body, pressing her hips down onto the bed.

"Say it Caroline. Beg for it." He whispered against her lips, his fingers hovering over her sex with the promise of pleasure.

"No." Caroline bit out, shutting her eyes and attempting to regain control of her faculties.

Her plight was short lived as he plunged one finger back into her depths. His fingertip curved, stroking the sensitive depths as she writhed. She was rejoicing at having his hands working her body again when his finger stopped. Halfway inside her, her muscles clenching desperately in need, and he stopped.

"You aren't being nice, Caroline," he whispered. "I could leave you here, hot and hurting for relief, or I could give you what you need, eventually. All you have to do is ask for it."

Caroline's hips moved of their own volition, desperate for relief but she kept her lips sealed. Klaus just laughed. He had waited this long, he could be patient. Besides, watching her squirm was a pleasure all its own. His mouth nipped at her flushed skin as his fingers returned to her folds, not quite entering but delicately dancing over the area.

After a few minutes of this torture Caroline broke her silence, crying out "if you want to fuck then do it already."

"But, sweetheart, I don't want to just fuck," Klaus said, his voice amused. "I want you to know who controls your body, your lusts. I want you to know, all the way to your core, who owns that pretty pussy, that tempting little ass and hot mouth. I want you to admit they're mine, and mine alone to fuck however I please."

Delirious from the denied pleasure and desperate to ease the ache between her legs, Caroline yanked his face down to hers and pressed their lips together. When they finally pulled apart, she whispered against his lips "fine, you win. I'm begging. Fuck me please."

Her words unleashed a hunger in him Klaus couldn't control. He reared up and stripped off his clothes. Caroline caught her first glimpse of his erection, so thick and huge. He watched her stare fervidly at his cock and felt his hunger grow just from the need radiating off her. When he was done with her, she wouldn't ever feel that kind of unbearable need for anyone else.

Klaus slid the head of his cock along her folds before surging inside of her. His hips rolled in a smooth motion between her thighs that sent sharp darts of ecstasy traveling through her body. Now that Caroline had already begged, the floodgates were wide open. She wanted to beg for more, beg for mercy.

He wasn't going to last long. Klaus knew there'd be no chance of that. The best he could hope for was that Caroline wouldn't either. He grabbed her hips, his face buried in the sweaty curve of her neck as he began a powerful, firm motion inside her body. She was so tight it burned, so slick and sweet he could stay inside her forever if only he could hold back that long. She twisted against him, her hips lifting for him, her legs wrapping around his waist as she took him deeper, crying out with the sensations his hard thrusts sent through her. Klaus groaned at her heat. He plunged into her harder, his thrusts gaining in speed, piercing inside her, sliding through sensitive tissue that gripped him, fought to hold him. Her body tightened further until finally, her pussy began to quake around him as she cried out, jerking in his arms, her orgasm slamming into her at the same time he lost control. Klaus heard his howl of ecstasy, her strangled cry of release as he began erupting inside her. Heat enveloped him, scorched him. He didn't think the hard flames of pleasure would ever end. Wished they never did. They shot up his spine, through his dick, and dissolved the hard, lonely core to his heart.

Caroline, for her part, couldn't see straight as Klaus rolled off her body to lie beside her. Her entire world was a fuzzy haze and she could still feel little bursts of electricity still shooting through her system. It was a while before the after effects of her orgasm slowed to a stop and the reality of what had just happened set in.

"I'll never be yours." She whispered softly. "I can't hide the fact that my body craves you but I'll never be yours."

"And what qualities must a man have to be so lucky as to claim you – mind, body and soul?" he asked her as he rolled back on top of her, his body pressing against hers, not forcing her, but holding her, warming her.

For a moment, an endearing vulnerability flashed in her eyes. His heart softened at what he read there. Mingled hope and need, a flash of uncertainty.

"Something you don't have." He wondered if she heard the regret in her voice.

"And what would that be, love?" He wanted to pull her to his chest, hold her, assure her that anything she needed, anything she wanted, was hers for the asking.

She pushed away from him, her natural defensiveness taking over again, that flash of pain in her eyes overriding any ease she felt in the wake of their fucking.

"Heart, Klaus. It takes a heart," she bit out. "And I really don't think you have one."


	15. The Prisoner and The Agent

**The Prisoner and The Agent**

Six years. Two thousand, one hundred, and ninety days. That's how long Niklaus Mikaelson had been chasing this day. Chasing _her_. The Duchess (she'd earned the moniker after her first major score – stealing the entire jewelry collection of an 18th century Italian duchess en route to an exhibit in Sicily). Gwen Spalding. Emma Borden. Scarlett James. **_Caroline Forbes. _**She'd been a number of different women in a number of different cities. Caroline Forbes had been the proverbial thorn in his side since that first flawlessly executed con - the theft of a 2.3 million dollar painting from the Whitney Museum in New York. She'd been all but invisible in her attack and by the time he'd arrived on the scene she had been long gone. It had been a chase ever since, with Klaus always just one step behind Caroline.

It was around the second year that she began really toying with him. Postcards from around the world. Birthday cards and Christmas gifts. The most mocking were the anniversary gifts that marked every year that he failed to catch her. He didn't know how she knew the things about him that she did, like his birthday and his address, but he made it his business to know absolutely everything he could about her in return.

Klaus sat up in bed and ran a calloused hand over his stubble before shutting off his alarm. As he brushed his teeth, he let his mind race back to the day he'd finally caught her. It had been, of all things, a cat burglary. Caroline had broken in to the home of the French ambassador to the US in an attempt to lift something from a heavily secured safe. When he snapped those cuffs around her dainty wrists, Klaus should have felt triumphant. He should have celebrated his victory. But a small part of him mourned the loss of the chase. White collar crime was an inherently crafty skill but it had been a while since he had come across a criminal as clever and elusive as Caroline.

Klaus had been at her trial, had even testified. He watched on intently as the jury delivered a guilty verdict and Caroline was led away.

But today was the day. This was the day he'd been chasing. The day Caroline Forbes got moved to the maximum security prison, Green Haven, which – contrary to what its name suggested – was no sanctuary. It wasn't his job to be a part of her security escort but he'd been after her for the better part of a decade and he was going to see this through to the very end. He slid his gun into its holster and his badge into his pocket before heading out of his house.

When he made it to the jail where they had been holding Caroline until her transfer date, he was surprised to see a leather jacket clad man leaning back against the building, sunglasses hiding his scrutinizing eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Klaus asked, strolling up to his partner Stefan.

Stefan took off his sunglasses and shot him a knowing look. "I knew you wouldn't be able to resist showing up here so…here I am." He knew his partner was obsessed with Caroline Forbes and he couldn't blame the guy. For six years he'd been intensely focused on anticipating her next move and since they'd finally caught her, Stefan knew his friend had a bit of a void in his life where the thrill of the chase used to be.

They walked into the jail, flashing their badges at each checkpoint until they came to the back where Caroline was already being loaded into a van. From where Klaus was standing, you could hardly tell that the young woman had spent the last few nights in a jail cell. Her hair still shimmered, as if it was swallowing the sunrays cast down on her head and reflecting the light back. Her eyes still held that calculating, sage look. And even the baggy orange jumpsuit couldn't hide the slinky little body beneath it.

The two agents stalked over to the officer in charge and flashed their badges while giving their names.

"This was our case and we thought we'd tag along for the ride." Stefan said, nodding to the van behind the officer.

The man just crossed his arms over his chest and looked back and forth between the two. "Well thanks for your service but the prisoner's in our custody now and we can take it from her."

"The prisoner," Klaus said gruffly, "has a habit of slipping through the cracks and we're here to make sure you don't let all our hard work go to waste by losing her between here and the facility."

The man clearly did not appreciate his capabilities being drawn in to question and shot Klaus a nasty look. "We've done this hundreds of times before. We don't need you high and mighty agents coming down here and telling us how to do our jobs. We don't tell you how to catch them."

"Perhaps because you don't _know_ how to catch them." Klaus said with a patronizing smirk.

"There's no need for hostility." Stefan interrupted before the other man could respond. "We're offering extra security. There's no harm in taking it." He reasoned and the officer seemed to contemplate it for a moment longer before grunting his consent.

Klaus walked over to the back of the van and motioned for the keys but the officer in charge just shot him a dubious look. "You can't ride in the back with the prisoner. You two yahoos want to tag along then you pick yourself an SUV and tail us."

"I wasn't asking you how you do things." Klaus bit out, having lost all patience with this man. "I'm telling you to open the door."

Stefan put a hand to his partner's chest and leaned in to mutter beneath his breath, "maybe he's right. She is technically a dangerous criminal."

"She's cuffed and I have years of experience in hand to hand combat, not to mention my glock. I think we'll be fine." Klaus responded, gesturing again for the officer to open the door.

The man, clearly having lost the patience to continue this dispute, unlocked the door, muttering beneath his breath about agency blowhards. With one last nod to Stefan, Klaus jumped into the back of the prison van and shut the doors behind him. He took a seat across from Caroline and regarded her as a coquettish glint filled her eyes. Klaus thought to himself that The Duchess was a fitting name. The way she sat there, wearing that orange jumpsuit as if it were a gown fit for royalty, looking down her nose at him with all the inbred grace of a queen. Yeah, the Duchess suited her.

Caroline broke the silence first, tilting her head and fixing her gaze on her captor. "Have you come all this way to gloat?" She asked with an almost eerie smile, given the circumstances.

"I've waited six years for this moment, you didn't think I'd miss it did you?" He shot back, unfazed by her scrutinizing look.

Her face broke out into a coy smile and she said, "You have to admit, it was six great years though."

He paused for a moment and just watched her before speaking again. "You know you ruined every relationship I've had for the past six years. All those hours devoted to hunting you down; all that energy channeled into anticipating your every mood. You're a hard woman to compete with Caroline Forbes." Klaus wasn't sure why he told her that. Perhaps it was brought on by the heady sense of being confined to this small space with the one thing he'd coveted for six years. This was his first, and last, one on one encounter with Caroline and he wanted to make the most of it. He had questions.

"There are a few things I want to know, Duchess." Her nickname rolled off his tongue in an almost intimate way as he leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees and drawing their faces closer together.

Caroline just raised one eyebrow and shot him an amused look. "Shouldn't a lawyer be present if you're going to interrogate me, which – by the way – your bureau has already done."

"Full amnesty." Klaus responded swiftly, unconcerned with how utterly against protocol this entire situation was. "Anything you say in the next hour is completely off the books."

"Then why ask?" Caroline asked, puzzled now.

Klaus just shrugged with a smile. "Chalk it up to my innate curiosity."

She just looked on and after a few minutes he took her silence as acquiescence.

"The Dryden heist. It left two security guards dead. Do you know anything about that?" He asked, his eyes locked on hers.

Caroline gave a disdainful frown. "You know I don't like violence."

Yeah, he knew she didn't like violence. It was one of the many little facts about her he had stored in his mind after years of casing her. Her aversion to violence would be viewed as weakness where she was going. Prison yards were a survival of the fittest habitat and Caroline was a con-artist not a cold blooded killer. Strangely he found himself a little worried for her. What was even stranger was that she didn't seem all that worried for herself.

"Two weeks before you were arrested," Klaus said, moving on. He didn't need to question her further about the Dryden case. He wasn't sure how or why but he just knew she wouldn't lie to him. "Someone made off with two genuine Reinhardt paintings and left forgeries in their places. I know you're a bit of an artist yourself…"

Caroline just smiled this time. "Sadly, that wasn't me. Though I do enjoy his work."

"So it's a 'he' then?"

"I don't know. You tell me, Special Agent Mikaelson." There was that coy smile again. Her blasé attitude should have upset him but Klaus was only fascinated by it. By her.

"That time I almost cornered you in Catalina. How did you make it off the island without me knowing?" He questioned.

She shook her head with a grin. "I didn't. I sold a passport with the name of one of my aliases to a local who wanted to travel and waited for it to ping on your alert system. You went on a wild goose chase for 'Francesca Gray' and I got to enjoy my well-deserved vacation."

Again, he should have been upset at her smug attitude but he couldn't help but be impressed.

"2009. The hit at the American Museum of Natural History."

She laughed a little to herself before responding. "I planted rumors that there would be an attempted heist. Of course they cleared out the vault little by little to send the more valuable pieces to different locations. Forged some credentials and –"

Klaus cut her off. "They all but handed it to you for safe transport."

Caroline just smiled in return. He watched that coy look and had to ask the one thing he truly wanted to know.

"Why do you do it?"

She waited for a moment and pretended to think about it, humming beneath her breath. "The health benefits and the 401k." She finally answered with a sarcastic grin.

When he just shot her a raised eyebrow she continued, her face growing serious. "We're a lot alike you know. We both crave the adventure; the challenge; the thrill of the chase. The way you feel when you plan a successful take-down that's how I feel when I plan a heist." She gave him an examining look, like she had just figured something out. "The only difference is- I had the guts to be bad."

There was another period of silence before he spoke again. "Six years of meticulously planned schemes and you make rookie mistakes on a cat burglary." Klaus said, watching Caroline dip her head to hide behind her hair.

"We're all flawed." She muttered beneath her breath.

When they reached Green Haven Correctional Facility, Klaus hopped out of the van and watched as the armed guards dragged Caroline from the back.

"Home sweet home." She said mockingly as she looked up at the towering prison.

As they led her towards the barbwire gates, Caroline shot one last look over her shoulder at Klaus. Even from a distance he caught the cool glint in her eyes and her small half-smile. She seemed incredibly nonchalant for a woman staring a decade long prison sentence in the face but the look in her eye said she knew something he didn't.

Before he could further inspect that notion, Stefan appeared by his side and clapped him on the back. "There it is. Case officially closed."

"Did she seem a bit…off to you?" Klaus turned to ask his partner.

Stefan shook his head with a groan. "Don't do this. It's done, case closed, nothing left to obsess over."

"Yeah but I get the feeling we're missing something. Doesn't it all feel surreal to you?"

Shooting him a skeptical look, Stefan said, "It only feels that way because you've forgotten what it's like to not be consumed by the thought of one criminal. It's done Klaus, let's go."

With a final glance at the prison that now housed the woman that had taunted him for six years, Klaus turned and followed Stefan back to one of the standard issue SUVs.

In the two weeks that followed, Klaus tried valiantly to return to life as it was before the Duchess. It only took him a few days to realize that there would be no chance of that. Perhaps Stefan was right and the way he threw himself into his work was entirely unhealthy, but Klaus needed that chase. He needed that challenge. He found himself searching through the bureau's caseload, desperate for anything that would ignite so much as half the interest that chasing Caroline had instilled in him. He needed something to fill the void where that hunt had been.

Cradling a cup of coffee and a stack of files, Klaus had just sat down at his desk when he cell rang.

"Mikaelson." He spoke into the phone, flipping idly through the pages in front of him.

"It's me." Stefan's voice came through the phone. "I have news."

Klaus picked up on the serious note in Stefan's voice and gave his partner his full attention. "What?" He asked, shutting the file in front of him.

"It's Caroline Forbes. She" Stefan paused and took in a fortifying breath, "escaped."

Klaus said nothing for a moment as he tried to wrap his mind around what Stefan was saying. Finally he asked, "What do you mean she escaped? From a maximum security prison? In less than two weeks?"

"That's not all." Stefan said slowly. "Apparently they found a cinder-block removed from one of the cell-blocks It looks as if someone had hid something there and someone else knew just where to find it."

Again Klaus paused to take in what Stefan was saying.

"So you're telling me," he bit out, gripping the phone in his hand, "that the Duchess stole something from a prison cell? Are you honestly telling me that she intentionally got herself arrested just so she could be sent to prison and retrieve something someone else had hidden there?" He said in disbelief.

"That's the conclusion I drew but you know her best so…" Stefan trailed off and Klaus shook his head in shock, though there was no one around to see it.

"Unbelievable." He muttered beneath his breath before hanging up on Stefan.

Klaus leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair. Slowly his look of disbelief shifted into a smirk. His colleagues would no doubt be up in arms over this mess but as far as Klaus was concerned, there was something to be said about the thrill of the chase.


	16. The Expecting and The Enthused

**The Expecting and The Enthused**

They say that pregnancy is the miracle of life but in the case of Caroline Forbes –Mikaelson it truly was a bona fide miracle. Caroline came from a long line of women who struggled with infertility. Her mother was never able to conceive again after she had Caroline and her grandmother tried for ten years before she had her mother. One day, to settle her innate curiosity, she got tested to see if she carried the same infertility issues that ran in her mother's side of the family. Part of her wished she never had because the fact of the matter was Caroline had a hostile uterus. She was barren. And the hardest part was knowing it. So Caroline had accepted early on that motherhood just wouldn't be in the cards for her. It was fine really; she knew she'd make a fabulous godmother. Besides, her mother -although Caroline loved her -hadn't exactly been a stellar model for motherhood. And the thought that she'd make the same parenting mistakes, or worse ones, terrified her.

But all that disappeared when that little blue plus sign appeared. Caroline took the test again and again, reluctant to get her hopes up. And when those also claimed she was pregnant, she went to her doctor just to be sure. And as it were, all signs pointed to a genuine miracle – Caroline Forbes' hostile uterus was carrying a baby. Words didn't normally fail her – Caroline was a talkative girl – but she'd never find the words to get across how she felt in that moment. Her emotions were out of this world.

And if Caroline's feelings were out of this world, her husband Klaus was downright over the moon.

The first hint that something was up was that Caroline was cooking when he got home. Klaus loved many things about his wife but her culinary skills were not amongst them. Anyone that knew her knew better than to leave her alone in a kitchen. But, indulgent husband that he was, Klaus hid his reluctance behind a smile as Caroline laid out baby carrots, baby corn and baby back ribs. When he was done suffering politely through the meal (the ribs were burnt and the vegetables soggy but Caroline grinned like a lunatic throughout the whole ordeal so it was worth it), his wife disappeared to the kitchen to retrieve dessert. When she re-entered the dining room it was with a big red bow tied around her waist, a bowl of Baby Ruths in her hands and that same endearing grin on her face. It took him a moment to get the message but when he did, he lifted her up in his arms - candy scattering everywhere - and carried her up to their bedroom.

Klaus hadn't undervalued the weight of Caroline's pregnancy news. She'd made it clear before their marriage that she wouldn't be able to give him kids. That realization had weighed heavily not only on Klaus but also on his mother who wouldn't be satisfied until she had a football team of grandchildren. He married her anyway. Contrary to what his mother believed, it wasn't that Klaus hadn't wanted a child – he came from a large family and would have loved to have a bunch of mini Mikaelsons running around. But he wanted Caroline more than he wanted a big family. She was all the family he needed. But Caroline never ceased to amaze him. She had already given him so much, and now she was giving him this.

As Caroline's best friend, it was Elena's duty to throw her the greatest baby shower in the history of mankind. And this would have been a lot easier if Klaus hadn't perfected the art of hovering.

_"Not those carnations, Caroline prefers orchids."_

_"Tell the DJ I've already crafted the perfect playlist."_

_"This isn't a potluck, Elena, let me hire a caterer."_

_"Run the guest list by me before you send out the invitations."_

At one point, Elena threw her hands in the air and let Klaus plan his wife's baby shower himself. Though 'let' might be the wrong word. He was going to do things his way, with or without Elena's blessing. And as it turns out, Klaus really did know his wife better than anyone else because in her eyes it was the perfect shower.

Even after the baby shower, Klaus showed no signs of losing steam. Caroline woke up one morning to find unfamiliar men traipsing in and out of their house. When she tracked down Klaus he calmly explained that they were painters and carpenters working on the nursery. This was news to Caroline because she was only two months pregnant, hardly showing, and the building of the nursery seemed a little early – they didn't even know the sex of the baby yet (Caroline wanted it to be a surprise). But none of this seemed to faze Klaus who threw thousands of dollars into crafting the perfect haven for their future kid. And he kept it – literally - under lock and key, refusing to let Caroline see it until it was complete. And the finished product was well worth the wait. The room was painted a nice cyan blue and some of Klaus' own sketches hung on the walls. There was a huge toy chest in one corner by the fancy looking crib and a rocking chair sat by the bookshelf on the other end of the room. Changing station, baby monitors, a wardrobe. Klaus had thought of it all.

It was around the five month mark that they seriously began to look at choices for names. It was a surprisingly complicated matter since the two couldn't seem to agree on anything. They tried to settle on a boy's name first. Caroline wanted to name their unborn child Bill, after her father, but Klaus quickly vetoed the idea. Not only was the name Bill unbearably basic, but there was also no love lost between Klaus and his father in law. Caroline had long since forgiven her father for his mistreatment and eventual abandonment of her but Klaus still resented the man for never giving his only daughter the undying love and affection she deserved so there was no chance any child of his would be named after the insufferable man. Klaus favored the name Micah but Caroline scoffed her disapproval. "Micah Mikaelson. No." Settling on a girl's name proved to be much easier. It was actually Rebekah who had come up with it. Lucia. It meant light and Klaus couldn't think of a more befitting name. With any luck, this baby would have all the same inherent light her mother had.

By the end of Caroline's second trimester, Klaus was a veritable encyclopedia of baby knowledge. How-to books littered their home and he'd watched more educational videos than he could count. Caroline was shocked when he approached her with the pros and cons of circumcision and case studies on the importance of breast-feeding. Caroline had been content to learn as she went along but Klaus, who hated nothing more than a blind spot, made it his sole focus to know everything there was to know. Chances are they were only going to get one shot at this and he damn well was going to insure that they did it right.

It wasn't until Caroline's final trimester when things became complicated. Caroline's body being what it was, their doctor warned that this pregnancy came with a number of high risks. Their little miracle had made it this far without problems but the final trimester would be crucial. Caroline almost wished Nik hadn't been so adamant about accompanying her to all her doctor's visits because once the word "complications" left the OBGYN's mouth, Klaus became insufferable. Running his own company and being his own boss meant that Klaus could, and did, take time off to stay at home with Caroline. He watched her like a hawk, forcing her to eat even when she wasn't hungry and making sure she rarely got out of bed. When he refused to let her leave to go shopping with Bonnie and Elena, Caroline finally snapped.

"I'm pregnant not an invalid!"

Completely unfazed by her attitude, Klaus just ushered her back into bed. Her mood passed, however, when he summoned Elena and Bonnie to their home and surprisingly tolerated the three young women commandeering the bedroom for an all-night rom-com movie marathon.

The sleepless nights aren't supposed to come until after the birth but in the last few weeks of Caroline's pregnancy Klaus hardly slept most nights. Instead he'd lay awake and listen to the sounds of Caroline breathing. Sometimes he'd lay his head on her stomach and just wait to feel a kick, to reassure himself that everything was still going okay. Other times he'd wait for Caroline to be asleep before whispering to her belly, carrying on full conversations with his unborn child.

Klaus' siblings, none of whom - with the exception of Elijah- were parents, all found his behavior to be very amusing. It was a well-known fact that Caroline's pregnancy thrilled and petrified Nik in equal parts. The closer she came to her due date, the more hyper vigilant he became, and the more psychotic he got about their plan for when she went into labor. He'd nearly driven her insane when he made them do a test run. Klaus almost fired their driver for getting them to the hospital three minutes behind what he perceived to be a reasonable time. Never mind the agitated driver would have made it with ten minutes to spare if they hadn't been pulled over by a cop for speeding.

As it turned out, all of his meticulous planning had been for nothing because the day her water finally broke was the one day Klaus wasn't there. Back before Caroline had even gotten pregnant, Klaus had been scheduled to speak at an important conference amongst his peers. Naturally, he had every intention of skipping said conference but Caroline was having none of that.

"We're good here for three more weeks." She said, patting her belly before shoving his suit at him. "And Elena will be here with me all day." Caroline reasoned.

When Klaus finally accepted that she wouldn't budge on the issue, he left – leaving strict instructions for Elena to call him at the first sign of anything wrong.

The two girls settled in to watch trashy daytime TV together for a bit before Caroline excused herself. She wanted to make the most of her time away from Klaus' prying, over-concerned eyes. She loved him and loved that he was so invested in their baby's wellbeing but sometimes a girl just needed her solitude. A long, warm bath sounded as close to orgasmic bliss as she'd come for weeks. Not that Klaus wouldn't have been more than happy to accommodate her cravings for orgasms or bliss, but hell, did anyone even consider sex when they were as huge as a house and testy as a rattlesnake?

Caroline had been about to step into the tub when an odd ripple tightened around her stomach, starting low in her back then reaching around her lower belly. The tingling sensation was followed by the rush of liquid down her legs.

"No." She whispered beneath her breath. "No, no, no."

Caroline turned on her heel and wobbled out of the bathroom and back downstairs to where Elena was still sitting. As she descended the stairs, she reminded herself not to panic. They had drilled for this. She was ready for this.

All that stay calm mentality was lost when she reached the bottom.

"The baby's coming!" She shouted to Elena.

"Oh my god." Elena hopped up from the couch before exclaiming again, "oh my god!"

She ran forward to help her friend wobble to the front door but Caroline paused and shouted, "wait, wait, wait. Nik packed a hospital bag. It's upstairs in the closet right by the stairwell."

Elena nodded once, racing up the stairs and returning with the bag. "Just breath." She said to her friend as she tried to hail a cab.

"Thank you for that sage advice." Caroline replied sarcastically, her hands still on her stomach as if she could convince the baby to complete its final three week stay in her belly.

Once they were in the cab, Elena pulled out her phone and began trying to call Klaus. After he failed to pick up the first four times, she turned to Caroline at a loss.

"Try Stefan." She said in between heavy breaths.

Stefan was Klaus' business partner and would be at the conference with him. Elena tried not to think about the awkwardness of calling her ex-boyfriend and focused instead on her still wheezing friend. When Stefan answered with a curt "this is Salvatore", Elena immediately shouted into the phone.

"Caroline's having the baby. Now!"

Stefan standing at the side of the stage and still holding the phone to his ear, looked over at Klaus behind the podium speaking to the room full of people. Elena rattled off the name of the hospital they were headed to.

"We'll be there." Stefan said quickly before hanging up.

Taking a fortifying breath, he walked on to the stage and whispered into his partner's ear. There was a low buzz in the room as Klaus turned to Stefan with a shocked look before running off the stage. Stefan gave a generic excuse to the crowd before racing off after him. Once they were outside, Stefan snatched Klaus' keys from him.

"What –" Klaus began to ask but Stefan cut him off.

"You're in no state to drive safely. I'll drive."

Not wanting to waste time arguing, Klaus hopped into the passenger seat and proceeded to be a complete backseat driver, yelling at Stefan to go faster.

Meanwhile, Elena continued to make calls in the backseat of the cab. She called Bonnie first and as soon as her friend picked up the phone Elena shouted, "Caroline's having the baby!"

Bonnie jumped up from the couch she'd been snuggled on with Kol and looked down at her boyfriend.

"Caroline's having the baby!" She relayed the message before turning her attention back to Elena to get the hospital info.

As the couple raced towards their car, Kol pulled out his phone and called Rebekah.

"She's having the baby." He shouted happily as Bonnie tossed him the keys.

"Where are they going?" Rebekah asked quickly, leaving her apartment while scribbling down the hospital address Kol recited.

Once she hung up on her brother, Rebekah called Katherine.

"The baby's coming." She said as soon as her sister-in-law answered the phone.

Katherine turned and picked up her four year old son, Henrik, laughingly telling him "your auntie's having the baby."

Elijah walked in at the moment and asked, "Caroline's having the baby?"

Katherine just nodded as the family made their way out of the house and to the car.

Back at the hospital, Elena watched as they wheeled Caroline down the halls. She held her hand while Caroline laid in the hospital bed and waited for her doctor.

It was a while before a brunette, middle-aged woman entered with a reassuring smile on her face.

"Let's see what we have here." She said, slapping on some gloves before looking between Caroline's legs. "It's earlier than I anticipated but the baby's certainly ready to come out." The doctor said, glancing up at her patient. "Caroline, I need you to start pushing."

Caroline shook her head no and tightened her grip on Elena's hand at the pang of another contraction.

"No." She said between heavy breaths.

"Mrs. Mikaelson, your chart says you wanted a natural birth. I need you to start pushing."

Elena looked confused down at her friend. "Caroline, you have to push."

"No!" She shouted, more firmly this time. "Not until Nik gets here."

The doctor looked from Caroline to Elena then back again. "Listen, Caroline, we talked about this. You're a very lucky woman. Against all odds, you're going to be a mother. But this pregnancy has been strenuous enough on your body already and for the sake of you and your baby you need to push. Now."

"No." Caroline shouted louder this time, still gripping Elena's hand.

The doctor turned to Elena, who seemed the more rational of the two right now. "How far away is the father?"

She just shrugged, having no idea where Klaus was or when he'd be here.

Stefan had barely slowed the car when Klaus leapt out of it, racing full speed into the hospital. He made a quick stop at the front desk before taking off again down the hall towards the room the nurse had directed him to. When Klaus burst into the room, the doctor turned to Caroline again.

"We're all present. Now, push."

Elena moved from Caroline's side to allow Klaus to take her place. Not wanting to intrude on their moment she left and found the rest of the Mikaelson clan, plus Stefan and Bonnie, standing around in the waiting room. They talked amongst themselves for two hours before Klaus reappeared with a wide grin on his face.

"It's a girl. Lucia." He announced and his brothers walked over to give him a clap on the back.

As they all said their congratulations, Klaus led them down the hall to Caroline's room. Inside, Caroline lay sweaty on the bed with a tiny pink bundle cradled in her arms. Walking back over to his wife, Klaus picked his daughter up again, still astounded that they had created this tiny human life. She had his nose, he could already tell. And Caroline's eyes. He'd never tire of staring into those eyes.

"Daddy's little kickass pumpkin." He muttered, rocking the bundle slightly in his arms.

"You're already tainting her mind with those filthy words Nik." Rebekah said as she watched her little niece open and close her mouth repeatedly.

"I don't think anyone under 8 pounds can kick anyone's ass." Kol commented with a smirk.

But she had kicked Klaus' ass. He was putty in her little hands. They all took turns holding the baby before the nurse returned to kick everyone but Klaus out. He sat in a chair beside the bed as Caroline cuddled Lucia to her chest with tears in her eyes.

"We did this." She said, still in awe.

Klaus smiled down at his two girls, placing one hand on the baby's blanket and using the other to stroke Caroline's hair. "Yes we did."


	17. The One Where He Upsets Her

There were few things in this world Klaus enjoyed more than a rousing game of hide and seek but even a man of his years was bound to lose patience at some point. And, as most people knew, he afforded Caroline an unprecedented degree of tolerance, practicing extraordinary levels of self-restraint even when she infuriated him beyond belief. But his patience had run out and he was done with her impromptu game of hide and seek. It had been almost 24 hours since Klaus had last seen her – right after she left their home in a huff. He could trace the root of their problem back to Kol. A week ago his younger brother had gone on somewhat of a killing spree. Anyone would assume it was a murderous rage but in reality, Kol was just a bit of a wildcard. He liked killing and sometimes he liked killing on a grand scale. Unfortunately, his less than subtle behavior drew the attention of a hunter a few towns over. The one hunter was no problem. They took care of him in a matter of hours. The hunter's group that showed up a few days later, however, posed a little problem for Klaus. He was more or less invincible but Caroline, her friends, and his hybrids weren't.

So naturally Klaus needed to deal with the issue but when Caroline insisted on coming along, he had to do the one thing it was simply implied that he would never do. He compelled her to sit and stay. Caroline had long since stopped ingesting vervain because, well why would she? The single most powerful being on the planet was her own personal watch-guard so suffering through vervain didn't seem all that necessary. Had she known Klaus wouldn't hesitate to compel her himself, she never would have stopped.

She was entitled to her anger and she was free to sulk all she wanted at home but he'd be damned if he let Caroline spend another night not in their bed. Klaus didn't bother knocking on the Gilbert home door, rather just kicked it down and strolled in. Ever since Jeremy had moved out, the house was a vampire free for all. He'd stormed into the living room when Elena came flying down the stairs to meet him, a scowl on her face.

"Now is that anyway to treat a guest in your humble home?" Klaus asked with a smirk while subtly glancing over her shoulder, searching for Caroline.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "I don't remember asking for your company."

He shot her a devilish smirk, inching closer to her and watching as her body tensed in response. Ten years later and he still had the ability to terrify Caroline's closest friends. "Well if you'd be so kind as to call Caroline down, I'll be out of your hair in no time."

"She isn't here." Elena spat, watching him with wary eyes.

Klaus inhaled, cocking his head to the side. Caroline's scent lingered in the air but it was faint so maybe the Gilbert girl wasn't lying. Then again, he'd already been to the Salvatore home and Caroline's previous home but she hadn't been hiding out in those places which really only left here.

"I'm not surprised she ran away from you." Elena couldn't help but say and Klaus turned to face her again. "It was only a matter of time."

Before she could react, the original had brought her to her knees. He yanked her head back by her hair to look down on her, all hints of teasing gone from his eyes. "Let me be clear, Elena. I've tolerated your sassiness in the past for Caroline's sake but I don't see Caroline here right now? Do you?" He asked, twisting her head from side to side with the grip he had on her hair.

Klaus was about to further prove his point when a blazing sensation invaded his mind, causing him to grip his head as if that would somehow lessen the pain. He managed to look up and saw Bonnie in the living room doorway, her hands outstretched. With a growl, Klaus rushed forward and had the witch's neck locked in the crook of his arm before she could stop him.

The buzzing in his head stopped as Bonnie struggled to breath around the constriction of his grip on her neck.

"Caroline," Klaus spoke softly, knowing that if she was in the vicinity she'd hear him, "sweetheart you have five seconds to make an appearance before I separate dear Bonnie's head from her body."

He'd counted to three before there was a rush of air and Caroline materialized in front of him, her eyes shooting daggers.

"Hello love." Klaus gave her a slow smile, pushing Bonnie away from him.

Caroline stepped back as Klaus moved toward her. "See this – this is exactly the type of behavior that made me leave in the first place."

"You've made your point. You've thrown your tantrum and now it's time to go home."

The blonde just scoffed in disbelief, shaking her head. "What makes you think I'm leaving with you?"

Klaus rose one eyebrow before nodding his acquiescence. "Fine, then we'll both stay." He strolled over to the couch and sat down, throwing his arm over the back of the sofa and bringing his right foot over his left knee. "Elena you don't mind, do you?" He asked, mockingly.

Elena looked from Klaus to Caroline and frowned. After a few moments of silence, Caroline huffed and stomped towards the front door.

Klaus dipped his head towards Elena, sarcastically saying "thank you for your hospitality" before following Caroline out.

The ride back to their house was mostly silent with Caroline scowling and Klaus contemplating just how long this particular bout of anger would last. As soon as she entered the house, Caroline made to head towards their bedroom where she could at least lock him out (not that a locked door would stop him but it was the thought that counted) but she'd only made it a few steps when his hands wrapped around her waist and lifted her into the air. A split second later, she found herself sitting on the hallway table. Keeping his hands locked on her hips, Klaus leaned forward but Caroline just turned her head to stare at the door.

He rolled his eyes with a dramatic sigh. "Caroline, love, petulance doesn't become you."

"Doesn't it?" She cocked her head to the side and threw him a snide look.

Klaus had to admit, she was right. She _was_ appealing when she was moody. And when she was euphoric. And when she was wanton. And when she was mischievous. Klaus had yet to find a face on Caroline that_wasn't_ appealing.

"Are you genuinely upset with me love?" He asked, burying his nose in her silky hair.

Caroline fought her body's urge to give in and instead glared straight ahead. "Yes."

"And you have every right to be. I was wrong." Klaus said, nipping at her neck now.

"Yeah."

"I was an imbecile."

"Yup." Caroline said, popping her p and sucking in an unnecessary breath when his hands traced over the tops of her breasts.

"Are you simply going to agree with everything I say?" It was certainly an interesting possibility.

"Nope."

"Can we finish this fight in bed, then?" Klaus didn't mean to be presumptuous, but that's exactly where this was headed eventually and he was pushing for sooner rather than later.

"I'm still upset with you." And, as he had already conceded, she had every right to be. He was angry with himself, too. But she smelled good, and felt better, and the 24 hours he'd been without her felt like weeks.

"You could be upset in bed," he said hopefully, slipping his other hand under her left knee and lifting it to his hip, pulling her closer to the edge of the table and making room for him between her legs.

A small laugh escaped her, which he took as a very good sign.

"Are you listening to yourself?" she asked, her arms winding up around his neck, her left leg tightening around his hip and sending a hot thrill straight to his dick.

"No." Klaus was beyond listening. All he wanted now was her. So he kissed her, softly at first, loving the feel of her mouth, the gliding of her hands through his hair, and absolutely loving that her prim little shirt had only three buttons. Three, inconsequential, easily done away with buttons.

He smoothed his free hand up the satiny skin of her torso and cupped her breast. Her bra was lace. He could feel the flimsiness of it with his fingertips.

"We should talk," she whispered.

Of course they should.

Klaus' mouth crashed down on hers again, open, his tongue delving deep as he took her in a hot, heavy kiss, a wet and wild kiss.

"Good idea," he said when he pulled away. "Let's talk in bed."

Caroline wrapped her other leg around his waist and Klaus lifted her into the air, silencing her giggle by crushing his lips to hers again. He strolled to their room and deposited Caroline onto the bed. Klaus watched her for a moment, drinking in the sight of her in nothing but her black lace bra and skintight jeans. She shot him a teasing smile and he was reminded of just how incredibly lucky he was.

With a wolfish grin, he climbed onto the bed and stripped her jeans from her before running his fingers back up her smooth as silk legs. Caroline made to reach for him but Klaus tutted, pressing her arms back on to the bed and giving her a look that clearly stated she better keep them there. Grin still in place, he eased his way down her body.

Caroline whimpered as he nuzzled and kissed the inside of her thigh, called out when his breath gusted over her wet, swollen flesh and, when he finally tasted her with a slow, intentional lick, she screamed his name – music to Klaus' ears. He tightened his fingers around her thighs, holding her in place while he took her greedily with his mouth. His tongue on her was searing and aggressive, ruthless and demanding, unfurling deep and stroking with voracious hunger. One final thrust of his tongue, and a lusty moan ripped from her throat as she climaxed in fierce, splendid abandon. Klaus didn't let her go right away. He lapped at her more slowly now, drawing out her pleasure, forcing her to ride out her release until the last small spasms jerked through her spent body, only then did he take his hands from her thighs.

Klaus lifted his head, that dirty half smile on his face and his eyes filled with lust. "Are you still upset, love?"

Caroline just frowned up at him. "You're wearing far too many clothes."

"Well let's see what I can do about that, hmm?" He smirked, pulling his shirt over his head.

When Caroline realized he intended to take his time, she shot up on the bed and grabbed his jeans, tearing them from his body.

"Patience, love." Klaus grinned, gently pressing her back onto the bed.

"I thought this was about making it up to me." She pouted, her hands running along his bare chest.

He glanced down at the moisture still running along her thighs. "I thought I just did." He said, giving her that wolfish grin.

Caroline shrugged and muttered, "you could do better."

The grin fell from his face and Klaus gripped her hips in his hands. "I'll show you better."

He filled her in an instant and Caroline arched her back to force him deeper. As always, Klaus found himself fighting for supremacy over her and control of himself as he eased out of her and slid back home. Over and over, while her greedy little hands raked down his back and her lips brushed against his chest. Klaus pushed his hips against Caroline's, using controlled strength while his agile fingers caressed her. Satisfaction spiraled inside him as she clutched at his cock with small tight spasms. Again, Caroline arched and worked herself against him frantically. Klaus fought the intensity of the explosion gathering in him. He changed his rhythm, gathering speed and force and hitting all the little spots he knew would set her off. Sometimes he swore he knew her body better than his own. One final hard, relentless thrust and she hurtled, yelling into another orgasm. The feel of her orgasm was too much for Klaus, the sensations thundering through him almost too intense to call pleasure. He surged into her, unbearably tight and soft. Klaus' arms locked around her as he finally let himself get lost in the cascade of hot bursting pleasure.

When he rolled off of Caroline to lie beside her, she threw her leg over his and wrapped her arm around his neck until their bodies where sufficiently entangled. "This doesn't mean I'm not still upset." She muttered, closing her eyes as her body started to drift off to sleep.

Klaus just laughed, running his fingers through her hair and smiling up at the ceiling. "That, love, is _exactly_ what it means."


	18. The One Where He Shares Her

Despite coming from a family of six children, or perhaps because of it, Klaus held a very strong aversion to sharing. What was his should be **his** alone, but that was never the case with Caroline.

The first time she had come to him, it had been on the heels of an argument with Tyler. For his part Klaus (though he had moved back to Mystic Falls to be near her) was doing his best to give Caroline the space she needed to come to him on her own terms but his hybrid had all but driven Caroline into Klaus' arms.

But not for long. Never for long. She came and went as she pleased. Klaus was averse to sharing but when it came to Caroline he dampened that distaste. Because, he had quickly learned, some of Caroline was better than none of Caroline.

Klaus knew she was there before the bell even rang. He always knew. He schooled his face into that easy going smirk before swinging the door open.

"Caroline." He said her name and caught the slight shiver that racked her body at his husky tone. He knew Tyler could never make her tremble the way he did, and he savored the fact. Klaus may not have her everyday but on the days he did have Caroline, he gave her everything Tyler couldn't. He satisfied her fine-tuned body in a way that would ruin her boyfriend's touch for Caroline.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Caroline asked, even as she strolled by him and into the house.

Klaus swung the door shut and turned to face her. "What are you doing here, love?"

He knew exactly what she was doing here, it was always the same, but he wanted to hear her say it. **Needed** to hear her say it. Because sometimes, when she wasn't there, Klaus would begin to think she'd been nothing but a figment of his imagination. He needed to hear her say it because when he saw her and Tyler walking around town hand in hand and had to restrain the urge to tear everyone in the vicinity limb from limb – he wanted to look back to when she'd said the words. When she said he was what she wanted – if only for a night.

"Do we have to do this every time?" Caroline asked, her ponytail swaying as she tilted her head. She wanted him with an intensity that scared her but having to admit it to him was always the hard part.

Before she could say anything else, Klaus was a blur and she found her back pressed against the wall, his leg shoved between her thighs, brushing against her groin.

"Tell me why you're here, sweetheart." He whispered, dodging her supple mouth and sliding his lips along her smooth neck.

Caroline threw her head back to give him better access, swallowing her moans. "You know why I'm here."

"Tell me, Caroline." His fingers tightened on her arms and his blunt teeth bit at her neck before working their way down to her collarbone and the hollow of her throat.

Her hormones jumping from 0 to 60 in a matter of minutes, Caroline's head rolled against the wall while she rode his leg, her pussy desperate for any kind of friction.

"Tell me." Klaus repeated with a growl, his nails digging into her skin and what should have frightened Caroline only further turning her on.

"I want you." Caroline cried out, trying desperately to bring his lips to hers. "Fuck me, Klaus."

That being all the prompting he needed, Klaus lifted Caroline in his arms and sped into the living room – he wouldn't make it to his bedroom without fucking her on the stairs. He placed her back on her feet, gritting his teeth when she brushed against his already hard length. Caroline shot him a coy smile before backing away and removing her jacket, tossing it to the floor.

Klaus arched one brow before yanking his belt free and throwing it the floor beside her jacket. She raised him her little stud earrings. He surrendered his smartphone. She reciprocated with her hair clip, sending her curls cascading down her shoulders. He threw down his watch. Klaus waited expectedly and felt his body tense when she slid her shirt up little by little, revealing inch after inch of creamy skin. Done with her little game, he yanked Caroline into his arms, tearing her skirt from her body and leaving her there in nothing but her lace bra and panties.

"Play fair." Caroline muttered against his lips before leaning back and pulling his shirt over his head, flinging it to the side.

Klaus freed her pert breasts from their cage before dropping to his knees, hands spanning her hips in a possessive grip, his fingers hooking into the lace of her panties. By the time the tormenting sweep of lace and agile fingers skimmed her toes, Caroline was practically gasping. His hands reversed their path, sparking her flesh with raw need. Then they stopped, an inch from her hot core.

Klaus raised his eyes to look at her. "You're absolutely exquisite. Divine"

Just when she was about to lose it, he bent his head to her heated flesh, kissed and nibbled her thighs and toned stomach, moving along her body like a starving man who didn't know where to begin his feast. Her fingers entangled in his unruly curls, and she pressed his face to her flesh - incapable of handling the nerve firing stimulation, but unable to get enough.

Freeing his head from her grip, Klaus slowly stood, cupping her breasts in his hands. She watched intently as his head dipped down to her breasts, heard her pleas thicken as his tongue and teeth toyed with the sensitive tips. Caroline was, as always, astounded at how attune he was to her body. Every squeeze had the precise force, each stroke and bite and grip had the exact roughness to achieve maximum pleasure from every nerve ending in her body. He meticulously layered sensations with each squeeze and nibble, until she felt devoured, until she was overloaded with stimulation. Caroline rocked against him feverishly, rubbing her sensitive flesh against any part of him in mindless pursuit of satisfaction. Finally he dragged a callous, electrifying hand between her thighs, teasing and tormenting his way to her heated flesh. The pad of his thumb found her outer lips at the same time his mouth closed over a throbbing nipple.

When he felt her inching closer to the edge, Klaus pulled away, discarding his jeans before lifting her in his arms again. He fell on to the couch with her still in his arms.

"I want you to ride me." Klaus said gruffly, positioning her over him.

Caroline barely had time to grip his cock and situate him before he lowered her down, letting out a growl as she clenched that first inch in her soft heat. He held her still for a moment to give her time to adjust and then pulled her down until she engulfed him completely. Her hands flew out to brace against his chest as she convulsed and trembled around his cock. She felt impossibly stretched, delectably so. Due to his earlier ministrations, she was already slick around him, and she glided up and down with ease.

He reached up, cupped her face and pulled her down to lock their lips in a heated kiss. He rolled his hips upward in time to her grinds, thrusting into her even as his tongue plunged between her lips. She eagerly met his tongue with her own, tasting him. Pulling away from his kiss, she sat up again, quickening her pace and causing the muscles in his abdomen to clench and ripple. She clasped her knees against his sides, throwing her head back as he raised his hands to her breasts.

Just as she was about to climax, Klaus flipped them over and rose above her, a feral look in his eye. Caroline's body exploded but he didn't stop - kept invading her, stretching her. Her hips flailed so hard that she almost lifted him in the air. The room was filled with her cries as it went on and on. He withdrew then plunged, over and over again. He rode out her ecstasy, not letting it subside but instead building the pressure inside her again as he took her lips, plunged inside her mouth with his tongue, mimicking the commanding thrusts of his cock. Before she could recover from the first, another wave built, hovered, and then crashed over her. He threw his head back and roared as every muscle in his body tensed and he gripped her in his arms before following her over the edge.

Klaus laid on top of Caroline and traced his fingers across her face, the pad of his thumb rubbing against her lower lip.

"You're hungry." He said with a slight frown. She needed to take better care of herself. Tyler clearly was making no strides in that department. "You need to keep up your strength." His frown turned into a smirk as he thought of the night's upcoming activities.

He climbed off of her and Caroline whimpered at the loss. Strolling over to one of the cabinets, Klaus pulled out a blood bag and filled a glass. He didn't drink from blood bags, found the practice to be silly, but he kept the house stocked for her. Klaus pressed the glass into her hand before pulling on his jeans and calling his own meal into the room. A dazed looking brunette strolled in, walking up to Klaus and offering up her wrist.

Caroline grimaced and he shot her a smirk before biting into the proffered wrist. Klaus knew she didn't like to watch him feed this way but he did it anyway. He wouldn't hide who he was from her. He wanted her to see **him**. Klaus wanted her to see what she could be – if she wanted. Caroline had, unfortunately, been born into a town of vampires well versed in the art of self-loathing. Blood bags and bunnies weren't how they were built to live. They were predators. Klaus imagined Caroline hunting and his dick hardened again at just the thought. She'd be a magnificent predator, if she only let herself be.

When he'd drank his fill, he turned the brunette around and sent her on her way.

"This needs to stop." Caroline whispered to herself and Klaus turned to face her again.

He struggled to keep the range of emotions flying through him (rage at the thought of her returning to Tyler, panic at the thought she'd leave him for good) off of his face. He forced a dark smile. "I thought last time was _the last time_." He pointed out as he strolled over to the couch, grabbing her hand and pulling her up and flush against his body.

"I can't keep doing this." Caroline muttered beneath her breath, even as her fingers danced across his strong back.

Again, Klaus was overwhelmed by the threat of her leaving him for good. "Why? I'm content to stay your dirty little secret. No one will know you're cheating on Tyler, if that's what concerns you love." Klaus knew he was lying through his teeth. He was nowhere near content to remain her lover on the side. But in the choice between being her dirty little secret and being nothing at all to her, Klaus would choose the former every time. Even the thought of the latter terrified him.

Caroline shook her head and sighed against his chest. "I don't feel like I'm cheating when I'm with you. I feel like I'm cheating when I'm with him."

Klaus pulled his head back to look down at her. Her eyes stayed trained on his chest and he knew she didn't want to delve any further into what she had just said.

The disturbing thing was Klaus felt the same way. Since this affair had begun with Caroline, Klaus had lost his taste for all other women. He couldn't fuck other women without thinking of her. Every time he buried himself in another woman, he felt as if he were betraying Caroline.

Klaus threaded his fingers through her hair and forced her head back to look at him. Her eyes seemed almost sad and Klaus felt his chest tighten at the sight. She had the power to put them both out of their misery.

"Leave him, Caroline." Klaus muttered softly, his fingers tracing patterns on her bare neck and shoulders.

He felt her body tense and she stepped out of his arms.

"You know I can't do that." She muttered beneath her breath.

Caroline's entire world was turning into a black hole. Stefan had left when Elena chose Damon. Then Elena and Damon had both left to take Jeremy to a safe place. Bonnie had tracked down her cousin Lucy and gone to live with her. Then her mother had died a few years back in the line of duty.

Tyler was all she had left and he was a given. Klaus was unpredictable. He'd been alive for over a thousand years. How many girls had come and gone in that time? No, Tyler was the safe choice. He'd be there for her, even if all the passion in their relationship had died, he was there for her and he wasn't going anywhere.

Klaus felt her drawing away and immediately regretted having said anything. She wasn't ready to hear it and she wasn't ready to leave Tyler. But he could wait. He'd wait and wait and wait as long as he could have her like this. As long as he had these short moments, these brief tastes of her, Klaus could wait an eternity for Caroline.

"Come here." Klaus entwined his fingers in hers, pulling her back against his body. He felt her nipples tighten against his abrasive chest.

All thoughts of Tyler flew from her head again as Caroline rubbed her now aching body against his. Klaus smirked as he picked up the scent of her wetness, wanting to drop to his knees and bury his face in that hot heat.

Instead he lifted Caroline in his arms and dropped her onto the couch again. He took a moment to gaze down on her. Her silky, blonde hair fanned out wildly around her shoulders and her bright eyes clouded over with lust. She didn't look at Tyler like that, he knew. She didn't tremble at the sight of Tyler towering over her, or get wet and hot at just the thought of what was to come. Tyler didn't know her body like he did. He didn't know when to push her to the edge and when to push her over. Tyler didn't get the Caroline he did, the Caroline lying in front of him now.

But even as he comforted himself with these thoughts, Klaus knew Tyler had Caroline in the only way that mattered. He had her heart. And when it came to her body, Klaus was just forced to share.


	19. The Voyeur and The Exhibitionist

**The Voyeur and The Exhibitionist**

When she picked her apartment, Caroline Forbes had been looking for all the usual things. A sizable closet in the bedroom, bay windows in the living room, central heat and central air. All the things a twenty something woman on a budget could hope for in a small, one bedroom apartment. What she hadn't counted on was the view. If she were to rave about the spectacular view from her bedroom window, most people would look at Caroline as if she were crazy. Her bedroom window squarely faced the side of the brick brownstone next door. But what those people would fail to see was the owner of the brownstone.

The first time it happened, Caroline had dropped to the floor in embarrassment. She'd just been returning from the publishing house where she worked, kicking off her heels and already preparing to climb into bed with a book when she caught sight of a half-naked body in her peripheral view. She turned, a confused look on her face, and saw right out her window and into the bedroom of the guy next door. His chest was bare and he ran a damp towel through his unruly, blonde hair.

Caroline let out a gasp and crouched to the floor. She stayed there for a moment before creeping toward the window on her hands and knees and peeking out the glass again.

He still stood there, drying his hair, and Caroline was preparing to pull her shades closed when he walked further into his room and more of his naked body came into view. Caroline's eyes widened and she couldn't pull away from the sight of that toned back and tight ass.

Maybe it was because it had been a while since she'd last gotten laid (who had the time these days) that she struggled to pull her eyes away from the naked Adonis across the way but Caroline was pretty sure her staring had nothing to do with her dry spell and everything to do with how unbearably sexy her neighbor was. When he disappeared from view, Caroline stood, shut her curtains and tried – in vain – to banish the image from her mind.

The first, and last, time Klaus caught a glimpse of his neighbor naked through the window, it had been an early, muggy morning. Caroline, who normally shut her curtains at night, had left them open the night before to combat the stifling heat in her room. When she rose that morning, she forgot they were open and quickly began stripping.

Klaus, who did pull-ups most mornings on a bar hanging on the ceiling near his window, froze on the metal bar at the flash of naked, luscious woman that appeared in his line of vision. He let go of the bar, landing on the floor, and tilted his head to watch the blonde race naked around her room, grabbing toiletries from all corners. After a moment she glanced up and saw him there. He couldn't hear her but Klaus saw her lips form into the shape of a screech and she disappeared from sight, dropping to the floor. He smirked a moment later when the curtains swooped shut.

After that incident, Caroline was always careful to shut her curtains before stripping down to her skivvies. Klaus, however, didn't share this need for propriety. His home got hot and the heavy curtains tended to block out the flow of cool air, so he left his window wide open as he strutted naked around his room after showers, and did his daily workout routine.

Caroline wanted to be a respectful neighbor. She wanted to give the guy his privacy. But dear lord, that toned chest, that strong back, and she was pretty sure you could bounce a quarter off his ass. Pretty soon he began to star in all her fantasies. Sometimes he was a hot firefighter, other times he was a cool headed lawyer – all times he was naked. Although she'd seen him in his birthday suit a number of times, they must have opposing schedules because Caroline never ran into her hot neighbor in the flesh – so to speak. That was, up until today.

Klaus had been coming back from lunch with his sister when his eyes caught sight of a blonde head banging itself against the brick of the apartment building next door. Even with her head ducked, Klaus recognized his voyeuristic neighbor.

"Something wrong, sweetheart?" He strolled closer and her head shot up, spinning wildly to face him.

This was the first time he'd seen her up close and personal and she was more stunning than he had even realized. Her demure little nose twitched and a red flush crept up her cheeks. He grinned as the blush slowly took over her face – she clearly wasn't accustomed to seeing him fully dressed.

Caroline ran a hand through her hair, easing it back into place, and tried to school her face into an effortless mask. Her eyes were racing wildly across his features, drinking him in, when she realized he must be waiting for her to say something.

"Hey." She finally managed to say and he let out a short laugh.

"Any reason you're drilling your head into the wall?"

Caroline looked from the wall where she'd been taking out her frustrations before turning back to her neighbor. She had lost her keychain which meant she couldn't get into the building let alone her apartment.

"I'm locked out." She explained sheepishly.

He responded with a smile. "That's unfortunate."

"I have a plan in place for this scenario." Caroline said. "My friend has back-up keys to my place."

"Oh." Klaus nodded, that small smile still in place. "And where is she?"

Caroline frowned. She'd texted Elena but her friend was still at work and it could be a while before she got here.

"Okay it wasn't a foolproof back-up plan." She mumbled beneath her breath. She'd be waiting a while for Elena.

Klaus watched her for a moment longer and she squirmed under his gaze. "We haven't officially met. I'm Klaus."

"Caroline." She replied, shaking the hand he held out.

"Well, Caroline, you could use a drink." Klaus said, more of a statement than a question.

"Uh," she began to speak but Klaus cut her off.

"Come on then love." He said with a smirk as he walked toward his house.

Caroline stood there for a moment, weighing her options before deciding she had nothing better to do and took off after him. He held the door open for her and she paused for another second before stepping into his den of iniquity. She wasn't quite sure what she had expected. In fact, she never really considered what his house might look like outside of his bedroom, which was all masculine earth tones and impeccably arranged from what she could see from her bedroom window. But as Caroline stood in his foyer, she was a bit surprised by her surroundings. Everything looked antique and expensive. His bedroom looked like a modern day bachelor's man-cave, but what she could see of his home so far was more the highbrow and old school variety. Careful not to so much as brush against anything, Caroline followed behind Klaus as he led her into the living room.

Strolling over to the liquor cabinet with all the ease of a man who was in no shortage of self-confidence, Klaus pulled out a bottle of amber liquid, poured some into a glass and handed it to Caroline.

She took it gratefully and took a sip, grimacing at the taste. Klaus couldn't help but let out a short laugh at her reaction.

"Not a whiskey kind of girl, I take it." He said laughingly, taking the glass back from Caroline and placing it on the nearest surface.

"Maybe just a club soda." Caroline said with a nod and a smile.

Klaus nodded, disappearing to the kitchen to get her drink. Caroline was grateful for the moment alone to get herself together. She needed to stop picturing him naked or her face would literally catch fire with the way it was heating up in his presence.

She spun in small circles, taking in the living room. The bookshelf held a few pictures of Klaus with various people that all slightly resembled him. She stepped closer to get a better look at one of the photos when Klaus returned, his voice causing her to jump a little.

"Admiring my family photo, I see." Klaus said, sliding a glass into her hand.

"Only child." Caroline replied, pointing to herself.

"Ah, consider yourself lucky." Klaus said with a grin.

She gestured to the picture behind her. "I don't know you guys look pretty happy."

"It depends on the day." He shrugged but a reverent smile crossed his face as he thought of his annoying but beloved siblings.

"I'd take a large family any day." Caroline said, sipping her drink again.

"Tell me more." Klaus said smoothly, dropping onto the sofa, glass of scotch still in hand.

Caroline, still standing, shot him a skeptical look. "Why?" She asked. After all, she hardly knew this guy. She knew what he looked like in the buff but she didn't _know_ him.

"We've been neighbors for over a year now and have never spoken, Caroline. Is it so shocking that I would want to get to know you?"

When she kept that skeptical gaze trained on him he smirked up at her.

"Well, what else are you going to do?" He asked.

He made a valid point, Caroline thought as she dropped onto the chair opposite him. "Okay you have a point," she said, tapping her fingers on her glass.

Klaus watched her toy with her glass for a moment before asking, "are you from here?" 'Here' being Chicago. It seemed like a logical way to get her to start talking, though he wasn't entirely sure why he was so intent on getting her to talk.

"No." Caroline shook her head. "I'm from Mystic Falls, Virginia."

He tilted his head and grinned at her. "Ah, a small town girl."

"Well don't say it like that." Caroline huffed at his tone.

Klaus arched an eyebrow. "Like what?"

"Like I'm Tweety and you're Sylvester."

Klaus chuckled and continued to stare her down – well she certainly looked delectable.

Caroline rolled her eyes before continuing. "Anyway, I moved to Chicago a year ago to write –"

Klaus cut her off, that teasing smile still in place. "Ah, the tortured writer type. Aren't you a little enigma."

Caroline cocked her head and scowled. "Are you going to provide commentary on everything I say?"

"I certainly wouldn't rule out the possibility." Klaus grinned, raising his glass to his lips.

"Like I was saying," she continued, "I moved out here and got a job at a publishing company and wait, what do you do?" Caroline asked, placing her glass down on the table.

"We're not talking about me." He responded with an arched eyebrow. "We're talking about you."

Caroline opened her mouth to argue but changed her mind at the last moment. Since she'd moved to Chicago, Caroline hadn't exactly made a ton of friends outside of work and it was nice to have someone interested in her life. Besides, maybe she was better off not knowing what he did. This way when she crawled into bed at night and dreamt of him, he could be a firefighter or a lawyer.

"You know you're very strange." Caroline pointed out, staring at him.

He just shot her that slow smirk. "I've been called worse, sweetheart."

"I don't doubt it." She responded with a short laugh.

"And here I thought I was being a perfect gentleman." He said with a faux sigh. "Inviting you into my home –"

"You basically commanded me into your home." Caroline pointed out but he continued on as if she hadn't spoken.

"rescuing you from your self-inflicted punishment-"

"I wouldn't call it that." She cut him off again, blushing as she remembered him sneaking up on her banging against the brick building in frustration.

"I would even say you were somewhat of a damsel in distress, making me –"

"My knight in shining armor?" Caroline scoffed playfully.

Klaus grinned at her from his spot across the center piece table.

"Why do I get the feeling you're not quite the knight in shining armor type?" She asked, picking up her glass and finishing off her drink.

"I don't make a habit of it."

"So why start now?"

Klaus stood slowly and strolled over to her. He leaned down, bracing both hands on the sides of the chair and effectively trapping her between his arms.

"Why not?" He asked, leaning closer and she felt her breath catch in her throat.

His grin widened and her pulse jumped – their faces were mere inches apart and for a second she thought he was going to kiss her.

But he lifted his hand, taking the glass tumbler from her grip and shot her a smug look. "Refill?" He stood up straight again and grinned down at her before walking off to refill her drink.

Caroline was struggling to return her heart rate to normal when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She pulled it out, reading the text message from Elena explaining she'd be a few hours. Caroline sighed, standing and picking up her bag. She'd have to find a coffee shop after all since she couldn't very well impose on Klaus for hours.

He returned, drink in hand, and arched his eyebrow upon seeing Caroline preparing to leave.

"Going so soon?"

Caroline smiled. "Thanks for the drink but my friend won't be here for a while. I should probably find somewhere to hole up until then."

"And what's wrong with here?" Klaus held his hands out, gesturing to the room.

"She could be hours."

He smirked. "I'm sure we can find something to pass the time."

Caroline felt her face flare up in heat but was powerless to stop the blush. Her mind strayed to the view from her bedroom window again.

"Slow down there, sweetheart." Klaus said with a smug look. "You'll have to buy me dinner first."

At his jibe, Caroline felt her embarrassment disappear. She rolled her eyes and took the drink he held out to her.

"You wish," she muttered.

"I do." Klaus replied quickly, smiling again when her face turned red. She was startlingly easy to rile up.

"Well since we have time," Caroline walked by him and returned to her seat, "you can tell me what you do."

He smiled at her, taking his seat across from Caroline. The two stared each other down before Klaus finally spoke. Turns out he wasn't a firefighter or a lawyer but an artist. Caroline was reluctant to believe him at first but he led her to his gallery and she spun around in awe, taking in the landscapes and abstract pieces. The hours flew by as the two talked and Caroline learned there was more to her fantasy man than a hot body. She found herself a little sad when Elena texted her saying she was three minutes away.

"I should go." Caroline said standing. "My friend's here."

Klaus led her to the door, but before she could open it he put a hand out, trapping her between his body and the door. Caroline froze, her heart thumping in her chest. He brought a hand up to brush her hair back behind her ear.

"I'm going to kiss you now, Caroline." He whispered, his face inching closer. "If you don't want me to – say so now."

Caroline, who wouldn't have been able to form words even if she wanted to, just waited breathlessly. Klaus lifted her face with the crook of his finger. He stared down at her, like he was looking for something, then he descended on her and kissed her in a way Caroline could never recalled having been kissed. His lips melded with hers, prying them easily apart and his tongue thrust into her mouth. It stroked hers with practiced, velvet softness. Caroline felt her arms lift, of their own volition, to wrap around his neck. His tongue plundered her mouth, stroking and twisting with hers until she could do nothing else but attempt to hang on for dear life. When he finally pulled away, it was to run his lips along Caroline's collarbone where her pulse was visibly spiking. Not caring how wanton she might seem, Caroline ground her body against his. More than happy to take his cue from her, Klaus responded by grabbing her ass and lifting her into the air. Her legs wrapped instinctively around his as he spun and shoved her back against the door.

Caroline, whose sanity had long since fled, was preparing to tear his clothes off when her phone vibrated against her leg.

"Stop, stop, stop." She said, hitting him on the shoulders.

Klaus dropped her, stepping back enough to give her room to retrieve her phone.

"It's Elena." She said, peeking up at him through her lashes.

He grinned, reaching for the door handle and swinging it open. "I suppose I'll be seeing you around."

Caroline gave a small smile, thanked him for everything before ducking out of the house. Elena, who stood waiting outside of Caroline's building, shot her friend an inquisitive look as she darted out of the brownstone next door.

"You're a lifesaver." Caroline cried out, taking her keys from Elena before letting them both into the apartment.

"What were you doing next door?" Elena asked as they walked up the stairs.

Caroline just grinned but remained silent. She wasn't sure why but she wasn't ready to divulge the details of her afternoon with Klaus just yet. The two girls talked for a while, Elena bemused by her friend's curious behavior, before Elena gave Caroline a hug and went on her way.

Exhausted, Caroline kicked off her shoes and strolled into her room. She'd just been about to head to her closet when Klaus appeared in her peripheral vision with nothing but a towel on. She spun around and as always, couldn't help but admire the view. He'd clearly just gotten out of the shower, presumably a cold one if he was left feeling anything like she was after their brief tryst.

She inched closer to the window, hand on the curtain and ready to shut it (just because he never closed his didn't mean she couldn't cut off temptation by closing hers) when he looked up and caught her eye. Caroline froze but after a moment Klaus just lifted a hand and wiggled his fingers at her. She could only imagine the smug look on his face. Before things could progress any further (it always did), Caroline yanked the curtains shut. And even as she stood there, holding the fabric closed, Caroline couldn't keep the smile off of her face at the thought of just what was on the other side.


	20. The Dancer and The Director

**The Dancer and The Director**

_Cabriole. Piroutte. Panche. Arabesque._

Caroline struggled to keep up with the incessant chanting ringing in her ear. And the orders being barked at her was nothing compared to the voice yelling in her head.

Grand jete. Side leap. Fouette.

The music stopped and Caroline froze. She waited, breath bated, as Niklaus Mikaelson – director extraordinaire and pride and joy of the Aspen Ballet Company – strolled to a stop in front of her. She knew she wasn't ready. Caroline wasn't even sure why she had tried out for the lead – was even more confused about how she had landed the role.

"I can see you trying." Klaus muttered, hands crossed behind his back.

Caroline began to let out a small smile until she heard him continue.

"I don't want to see you trying! It should be effortless. Do it again." He barked and she jumped a little.

She hardly had time to get back in position before the music started up again. It'd been barely two minutes when he stopped her again.

"Does anyone else feel like their time is being wasted?" Klaus shouted and all the dancers in the room tensed. "Anyone?" He asked, gesturing to the room. "Because I've seen more life in my niece's grade school production of the Nutcracker."

The room remained silent and Klaus trained his stern eyes on Caroline who tried valiantly to not squirm under the heavy gaze. "Katherine, could you demonstrate to Caroline here a proper fouette?" He kept his eyes trained on her as he spoke.

Katherine, Caroline's understudy, raced forward and with virtually no effort, executed a perfect fouette. She turned with a smug look on her face and cocked her head with a shrug as she sauntered past Caroline.

"That" Klaus pointed to where Katherine had just stood, "is what I want to see. Again." He said gruffly, gesturing for the music to come on.

One deep breath and Caroline was flying again, willing her body to get through the number with minimal mistakes. When the music stopped yet again, Klaus let out a sigh.

"None of you are getting any better. We're done for the day."

The dancers began to scatter and Caroline made to join the crowd when Klaus spoke again.

"Caroline, your hesitancy when you dance was understandable during auditions but you've got the part now. Show me you deserve to keep it." He said before turning and leaving the studio.

Caroline felt her jaw hanging open. Before she could pull herself together, a voice sounded from behind her.

"Guess sleeping with the director only gets you so far."

She turned to face Katherine with a scowl on her face.

"I see you're still predictably bitter." Caroline bit back, crossing her arms over her chest.

The other girl just smirked. "And I see your snatch was good enough to land you the part but not good enough to keep it."

Caroline would have been able to brush Katherine's jibes off if it weren't for the fact that they were rooted in truth. Not that you could tell from the way he had treated her throughout the day, but Caroline was in fact sleeping with Klaus. In all fairness, she'd been sleeping with him for a while now and not just when casting for the spring performance came around. The first time she'd been with Klaus, she hadn't even known who he was. They'd met in a bar near the studio a few days before Caroline had been poised to start at the company. She'd heard what life was like once you joined the big leagues. No more free nights, or boyfriends, or sex. So Caroline had jumped on the first hot piece she saw because God only knew when she'd get the chance again. The morning she had been stretching in the studio and he waltzed in had been pure hell.

To Klaus' credit – he tried to keep it professional after that. But it was damn hard seeing Caroline every day and not flashing back to that steamy one-night stand. So it was only a matter of time before they fell into bed again. Then one time became two times, then three, then four. And it wasn't just sex either. She couldn't quite explain it, but there was something there. Caroline didn't know what they were but she knew Katherine wasn't the only one making assumptions.

"Oh shut it, Katherine." Elena appeared by Caroline's side.

From behind Katherine, stretching at the barre, Rebekah let out a snort. "Rushing to the defense as always, Elena?"

"Well at least she didn't get in to the company just because her brother is the director." Elena spat.

"Bitch." Rebekah muttered beneath her breath, switching legs as she stretched. She hadn't been the one accusing Caroline of wrongfully usurping the part. Yes, she knew the lead was sleeping with her brother but she also knew Nik would never let that affect his decision.

"Better step it up." Katherine smirked, walking past Caroline.

She glared at the other dancer's retreating form. As the room cleared, Elena turned to Caroline.

"Come on." She lifted her duffle bag and nodded toward the door.

"I think I'm gonna stay and practice a bit longer." Caroline said, as the room emptied of everyone except them and Rebekah.

"It's only been a week, Care, you're doing great. Don't listen to Katherine, she's a bitch."

"Elena she's your twin." Caroline laughed.

Her friend just shrugged. "Yeah so I know firsthand – she's a bitch."

Caroline paused for a moment and Elena was turning to leave when she asked. "You don't think he gave me the role because I'm sleeping with him do you?"

"Honestly, I don't think it hurt."

"Elena!"

"What?! You asked." Her friend shrugged. "But it doesn't matter because you're going to do great."

Caroline tried, and failed, to mimic her friend's small smile. "Well, thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime, Care. I have to go." Elena gave Caroline a half hug before leaving.

She turned to face Rebekah who was practicing her positions on the barre now. "Do you mind if I?" Caroline gestured to the sound system.

Rebekah just shook her head and Caroline queued up the music before running through the steps again. She did this for twenty minutes before she dropped to the floor and let out a dramatic sigh.

"I can't do this." She muttered to no one in particular, staring up at the ceiling.

Rebekah watched the other girl and rolled her eyes. "Evidently."

Caroline turned to look at the other blonde. "Let me guess, you also think I don't deserve the part."

"On the contrary." Rebekah spoke, standing still and turning to face Caroline. "Unlike those two stage five bitches, I happen to know there's no way Nik gave you the part because you happen to be fucking him."

Caroline wasn't sure how to take that but it didn't matter as Rebekah kept rambling on.

"Maybe your audition was a fluke." Rebekah shrugged with a smirk.

"Wow." Caroline snapped. "Because I needed more negativity."

Rebekah rolled her eyes to the Heavens and began her stretches again. "Well there's your problem. You're letting everyone mess with your head. I've lived my entire dance career in the shadow of my prodigy brother and I still have a higher self-esteem than you do. Now how does something like that happen?"

Caroline stood up and stared at the other girl. "You know what – you're right." She said, nodding fervently.

"I usually am." Rebekah replied without looking at her.

"I'm good. I'm better than good. I'm great." Caroline snatched up her duffle bag and stormed toward the door. "I'm great!"

Rebekah heard the footsteps recede and shook her head. "Alright then."

As she stormed down the hall to Klaus' office, Caroline repeated that mantra to herself. 'I'm great. I'm great. I'm great.'

She flung the door to Klaus office open and stomped in, arms crossed over her chest. "I'm great." Caroline all but shouted at him.

Klaus looked up and couldn't stop the smile from creeping on to his face at the sight of her standing there. It was shockingly hard to keep from smiling every time he glanced at her during rehearsals. Something about her just made him want to grin like a fool.

"Well hello sweetheart."

Caroline walked closer to his desk and came to a stop, towering over him. "Don't sweetheart me. I'm a great dancer and you made me feel like total shit today. What the hell was that?!"

The smile fell from Klaus' face as he looked up at her. If she had come in here expecting an apology, then she was sorely mistaken.

"You _are _a great dancer, Caroline." Klaus said, standing from his chair and going toe to toe with her. "But let me be clear about something. I am not here to coddle you. I'm not here to shower you in praise and boost your fragile ego. I'm here to direct and you're just one piece of a much bigger puzzle so if you can't take the pressure or the criticism then relinquish the role now because it's not going to get any easier."

Caroline felt her face heat in shame and shifted lightly on her feet. This hadn't been the show of encouragement she had been hoping for when she stormed in here but he had a point. Klaus watched her eyes saddened and couldn't fight the guilt that swept over him.

"Look love," he brought a hand up to cup her cheek, "I know it's hard but I have to treat you like every other dancer. It doesn't change how I feel about you outside of the studio." He said, tilting up her chin and forcing her to meet his eyes.

Caroline let out an understanding sigh and hooked her arms around his waist. "Well, can you maybe remind me of how you feel outside the studio?" She asked lightly.

Klaus grinned. "Gladly," he said before pressing his lips to hers.

Caroline met his tongue with her own in a feverish clash, tasting him, absorbing his strength, his scent. Her lips buzzed, burned, and she couldn't stop her body from rutting against his fervently. Klaus reached behind her neck to pull her closer. He felt her soft hands move over his shoulders, her thumbs drawing small circles below his collarbone. The pad of his thumb stroked back and forth across her nape, to her neck where her pulse fluttered. Skin so smooth, incredibly smooth.

Caroline's blood turned to syrup and her body sagged against his. She loved the way he tasted. Potent, powerful and hungry as he meshed those succulent lips with hers, invoking a carnal pleasure that left her feeling dizzy. She moaned shamelessly into his mouth, willing him to give her more. His tongue was swift and clever, with dark desire and dangerous delights. Desire for little ole' her. It was a heady feeling.

When he pulled away, Klaus got to work on freeing her from her clothes. He worked slowly, peeling off inch after tantalizing inch, revealing creamy flesh, lightly glowing, like her face. A natural beauty. She didn't cover it up under a ton of make-up like other women he knew. What you saw was precisely what you got. Just Caroline. He eased the stretchy fabric down further, slowly,refusing to give in to the urgency pounding through his bloodstream.

Once she was spectacularly bare, Klaus let his hands glide under the swell of her breasts. He cupped the pert little globes in his hands and slid his fingers over the hard little peaks that rose like buds in the sunshine against his palms. Caroline's breath hitched in her throat. Klaus ran his eyes over her and his mouth turned dry, his blood sizzled. All that smooth pale skin, those large rosy nipples that begged for his attention. It had been a long day and he couldn't wait much longer. He had to have a taste of her. Had to slide his tongue over those perfect mounds, and take one of those peaks into his mouth, tug on it with his teeth until she moaned with all the wanton abandon he knew she could. He let his sharp teeth scrape over her one more time, then pulled away.

"You're beautiful." He muttered beneath his breath.

"So are you," she said, running her hands along his chest, "if not a little over-dressed."

Klaus quickly pulled his shirt over his head before yanking her back into his arms. She was perfect. And he wanted nothing more than to explore all that perfection, starting at her toes and working his way up. But her feet were too far away. His hand slid between her toned thighs to her warm waiting heat. A slow glide and his thumb found the throbbing little nub that sent sparks shooting along her body.

Caroline trembled and with a smirk, Klaus lifted her in his arms, spun and deposited her on his desk. Her hands flew out to brace herself and papers scattered from the desk, falling to the floor. Caroline had been about to reach for him again when her eye caught sight of one of the papers she had knocked over. It was the casting list that had gone up last week.

And just like that, Caroline's desire was doused. She had come in here looking for answers and found herself in the same position she always did around him. Unbearably horny and shamelessly ready to go.

"Stop." She put a hand to Klaus chest and he stepped back, throwing her a confused look.

Silence descended on the room as the two worked to catch their breath. After a few moments Klaus finally asked, "what is it, sweetheart?", stepping closer and taking her in his arms again. He didn't want to seem like an asshole here but he was hard as a rock and she had spontaneously called everything to a halt.

Caroline looked down at the floor and whispered beneath her breath. "Did you give me the lead because we're sleeping together?" One way or another, she had to know.

Klaus stepped back, freeing her from the cage of his arms, and stared incredulously down at Caroline. It was a moment before he reined his anger in enough to respond. "I don't know if I should be more upset that you would think I'd trade roles for sexual favors or that you think so little of yourself that you believe you wouldn't have earned this role without sleeping with me." He turned away from her to pull on his shirt.

Caroline followed his lead and retrieved her clothes, careful not to catch his eye as she got dressed.

"Not so fast." Klaus caught her by the arm when she made to move past him. "You can't ask me something like that and then stroll out of here as if it means nothing."

Caroline shook his arm off and finally met his gaze. "You want to know why I asked you that? Well, why did you call Katherine to the front today to 'show me how it's done'." Caroline made air quotes before crossing her arms over her chest.

Klaus, who wasn't sure how they had gone from the brink of explosive pleasure to this mess in a matter of minutes, shot her a confused look. "Because Katherine's a great dancer. You could learn a lot from her."

Caroline scoffed and refrained from rolling her eyes. "I don't see one-on-one sessions happening with Katherine and me."

"This isn't high school love; I haven't got time for your petty disagreements. If one of us looks bad, we all look bad. That's what being a part of a company means." Klaus explained, not understanding just what she was so worked up over all of a sudden.

Caroline just shook her head. "If Katherine's so damn perfect for the role then that brings us back to the question of why you cast me."

"Katherine is perfect for the role in terms of technique." Klaus said, stepping between the door and Caroline so she couldn't leave. "But the audience has to love the lead character. They have to want to see her fly. They have to feel that airy lightness radiating off of her. Katherine doesn't exactly inspire those feelings."

Caroline waited silently.

"But you do." Klaus continued, cupping her face between his palms and touching his forehead to hers. "And I don't just mean with me either. You tend to have that effect on people." He grinned.

"So it had nothing to do with this?" She gestured between their bodies.

Again Klaus frowned at what she was suggesting. "Not in the least."

Caroline inhaled a deep breath and nodded, more to herself than to him. Rebekah had been right, she was letting other people get to her when she knew, deep down, that she deserved this part.

"Now I hate to spoil the moment," Klaus said, running his fingers down her arms, "but you've left me in a bit of a rough spot, love." He said, glancing down at the tent in his pants and back up at Caroline.

She pretended to pout for a moment, shaking her head. "Yeah, I can see that."

"It's a fixable problem." He murmured, dropping his head to nuzzle along her neck.

"I imagine it is." Caroline responded, tilting her head to give him better access.

"So, shall we pick up where we so abruptly left off?" His lips brushed against her collarbone and she bit her lip to hold back the moan bubbling in her throat.

"We could," she said lightly before stepping quickly out of his arms. "But my director says I could use more practice." Caroline said with a coy grin, sauntering around him and to the door. She paused when she reached the door, turning to throw him a teasing smile that did nothing to ease his impending case of blue balls. "I'll see you tonight."


	21. The Bride and The King

**The Bride and The King**

Whether she was the type to admit it or not, every girl wanted to be a princess at some point in her life. Crowns, thrones and endless jewels were all great selling points but the best part of the fantasy was always the obvious part – the prince. Or, in Caroline Forbes case on this magnificent day, the king.

And not any simple king, the vampire king. Alive for over a thousand years but only now taking a queen for the first time in the shocking form of a blonde baby vampire. And no one was more surprised than Caroline herself. Her maker, Katherine Pierce, was in a somewhat tumultuous on and off relationship with the king's brother Elijah, so spending time around the palace had been common for Caroline those first few months of her vampire life. What neither she, nor Katherine, had anticipated was how fast and how hard Niklaus Mikaleson would fall for her.

Caroline was snapped from her thoughts by an uncomfortable tug on her blonde curls. The woman doing her hair caught sight of the slight grimace and immediately began muttering apologies. She quickly soothed the woman, telling her it wasn't a problem but she could see the wary glint in the hairdresser's eyes. Caroline would probably never get used to the deference people treated her to since Klaus had taken an interest in her. They tended to cower and simper, most likely expecting that she shared her lover's infamous temper and inclination toward violence. Nik had once told her it was great that they feared her but Caroline preferred to be loved. As a human, she was obsessed with leaders like Princess Diana and Grace Kelly. She wanted the people's respect but she also wanted their affection – they could keep their fear to themselves or reserve it for her formidable soon to be husband.

Once the hairdresser had finished gathering up Caroline's hair into a high bun with cascading curls, another woman appeared and began to pepper her face with make-up. She waited patiently, tilting her head back to allow the woman better access. This was another thing that would take some getting used to – be waited on hand and foot. On a regular day, she had two ladies in waiting trailing her at all times but for her wedding day, a team of people had appeared all with the single minded goal of getting her picture perfect ready for this moment.

With her hair and makeup complete, a stern looking woman (Caroline's older advisor, a woman named Patricia who rarely smiled and was tasked with teaching Caroline all there was to know about being a Royal) wheeled in a rack carrying the painstakingly crafted wedding dress.

The dress was a traditional white, to the dissatisfaction of her lady advisors who had insisted the dress be of darker tone, like a red or black, to suit the king's tastes. But Caroline had scoffed at their suggestions – she most definitely would not be wearing black, this was her wedding not a funeral. She stood by her decision to wear white because she knew her king better than anyone else and she knew her light was one of the things he loved most about her.

The bodice of the dress was peppered with tiny little, glinting jewels in a curving pattern across the sweetheart neckline. In the back, the bodice became a series of crisscrossed straps that left strips of skin bare. The top half of the dress was tight and fitted but around the waist it began to flare out in a sweeping, full skirt of satin upon satin. Caroline felt her eyes tear up just looking at it. Designing it had taken months and months of meetings with the professional designer but in the end it had turned out to be the perfect wedding dress.

It took three ladies to carefully work Caroline into the dress and she giggled to herself thinking of how Nik would have to work to get her out of it. Then she stopped giggling when she realized he might be inclined to just tear it off, thereby destroying her perfect dress. She would have to have a talk with him about that before it came to pass.

She was admiring herself in the dress when there was a knock at the door and three eternally young women strolled in. Caroline beamed at the sight of her friends in their bridesmaid dresses, all red floor length satin dresses. First there was Rebekah, her maid of honor. The other two had been mildly miffed when after weeks of contemplation; Caroline had finally chosen Rebekah to be her maid of honor. Katherine had expected it to be her because well she created the younger vampire and was after all the one who had technically been behind introducing her to the king. The other girl, a vampire named Elena, was Katherine's doppleganger brought to the castle by Elijah (during an off spell with Katherine and much to her displeasure) but turned by Nik's best friend Stefan. Elena and Caroline had grown very close very fast and she had expected to be named maid of honor if for no other reason than Stefan was the best man and it would provide a nice sense of symmetry. But in the end, Caroline had chosen Rebekah because that was who she felt closest too. Katherine was her maker and she loved her for giving her the gift of eternal life but the two weren't incredibly close and while her friendship with Elena had sprouted quickly, she sometimes worried the girl only stayed close to her because she had the king's attention. Rebekah had been a true friend from the moment they had met and her brother was the groom so Caroline stood by her decision.

"We're all waiting on you." Katherine said with a smirk.

"Yes, please, let's get this event over with so we can all be returned to peace." Rebekah teased but Caroline could see the glint of amusement in her eyes.

Rebekah came forward and fitted a spidery black veil over Caroline's face – it was black as the one concession she had made to her advisors' request.

With a final look in the mirror, Caroline followed the other girls out of the room. The wedding was to take place outside on the castle grounds at Caroline's request. She waited in a nearby vestibule as each of her friends threw her a smile before walking off down the aisle ahead of her. Nerves of excitement danced along her skin as Caroline heard the music slow. That was her cue. With a deep breath she didn't need, Caroline stepped forward and started down the aisle.

At first her eyes darted from side to side, taking in the expansive crowd. Rebekah had warned her that vampires would turn up from all corners of the Earth to attend this momentous event. No one had ever expected Niklaus Mikaelson to fall in love, let alone tie himself to one woman for all eternity. Caroline's eyes roved wildly over row after row of faces, every one of the five hundred seats filled and even then hundreds of people standing. For a moment she felt a sense of panic over take her. She wasn't ready to lead these people. She wasn't ready to be a queen.

But then her eyes darted forward and locked with his. Her king. And Caroline felt all her panic fall away at the sight of his grin. She continued her long walk down the aisle, their eyes locked the entire time.

As he watched his bride inch closer, Klaus was again struck by the magnitude of his love. Love wasn't a thing that came easy to this man and he had always preferred it that way. Love made you weak, made you foolish. And maybe he was those things now because he simply couldn't stop himself from loving her – and that wasn't from a lack of trying.

In that stunning dress, with her hair done up and that bright smile on her face, Klaus couldn't ever imagine not loving Caroline. And even without all that, even if they had been getting married in a ditch somewhere with no flourish, he knew he would still love her. Because how could he not? She appeared out of nowhere and chipped away at the stone surrounding his heart.

Caroline reached the alter and Klaus lifted his hands to pull back the veil; as always – stunned by her beauty. He turned to the witch, Bonnie, that would be performing the ceremony, and she began to read from her grimoire. Klaus only half paid attention to the words she was saying, choosing instead to focus on his beautiful bride. The way her eyes dance and glittered, the way her plump coral lips stretched over pearly white teeth. He was so enraptured by her it took a quiet cough from Stefan behind him for Klaus to realize it was time for him to say his vows.

Taking both of Caroline's hands in his, he fixed her with a genuine smile – a smile he only ever bestowed on her.

"Caroline, all the room in my undead heart I reserve for only you."

If possible, the crowd grew even more silent at his words. This was a man who had slayed many. Conquered entire cities and brought down entire kingdoms. No one thought for a second that there was the least bit of compassion to the king so all were struck silent by what would probably be the only display of affection they would ever witness from this old and powerful being.

"Today I vow to protect you with the ferocity of entire armies, gift you with all the world has to offer, and love you with what little heart I have left. To me, two things have always been clear. You were born to be a queen. You were born to be mine."

Caroline felt her eyes tear up again and sucked in an unnecessary breath before opening her mouth. "Nik, you're a man who has everything and all I can offer you is myself. Your arms are my body's only home and your heart my love's only place. So I vow to stay yours, and keep you as mine, always and forever."

Klaus' younger brother brought forward the rings on a blood red pillow surrounded by jewels. Not normal rings, the two gold bands had been spelled by Bonnie to be irremovable and glow brighter the closer each ring came to its counterpart. This had been done at Klaus' behest. He, of course, had no intention of ever losing Caroline but if he did, Klaus wanted to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he could always find her.

Klaus lifted Caroline's delicate hand and slid the gold band onto her finger beside her diamond studded engagement ring. In turn, Caroline picked up the other ring and slid it onto Klaus' strong, defined hand. Once it was seated on his hand, never to be removed, Klaus pulled Caroline to him and pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss pushed the boundaries of what was socially acceptable but the two paid the crowd no mind as they drank at each other with gentle nips and roving tongues. The crowd erupted into applause but still the two stayed molded too each other, Klaus' hands running wildly along her back and down her hips.

It was a loud and obvious cough from Rebekah that finally gave Caroline the strength to pull away and it was a good thing that she did because Klaus wasn't sure he had it in him to stop. Now with the business of the ceremony over, he wanted nothing more than to disappear with just Caroline. His beautiful bride. His glorious wife. His magnificent queen.


	22. The One Where He Spanks Her

**The One Where He Spanks Her**

Nothing sent Klaus' temper from zero to sixty quite like being lied to – particularly by the few people he deemed worthy of his trust. So it was no wonder his temper was flaring when he spotted Elena leaving The Grill. The sight of the Gilbert girl didn't normally inspire such rage in him but Caroline had explicitly told him she'd be gone this weekend on a trip with Elena. Apparently her friend hadn't gotten the memo. And Caroline would only lie to him if she was doing something she knew he wouldn't approve of.

Klaus felt his jaw lock and he held in a growl. A moment later he had Elena backed up against the brick wall of the alley behind the Grill.

"Klaus!" Elena gasped, backing up as far away from the original as she could.

He watched her skitter around and barely refrained from rolling his eyes. It was odd how Elena still reacted fearfully to him. The Salvatore brothers used his relationship with Caroline as a free pass, knowing that as long as Caroline asked it of him Klaus would spare their lives.

"Where is she?" Klaus asked, not interested in pleasantries.

"Who?" Elena asked and Klaus just cocked his head to the side and shot her an impatient look. A moment's silence passed before Elena stood tall, stuck her chin out and proclaimed "I don't know."

While Klaus could appreciate her wanting to help Caroline by hiding the truth, he didn't have the time or the patience to play these games. They both knew she would tell him eventually and he much rather that be sooner than later.

"I won't ask again." Klaus said, malice dripping in his voice.

Elena weighed her options before deciding that Caroline was far enough away now that it wouldn't matter. They'd be back before Klaus had a chance to chase after them anyway. "She's with Bonnie and Jeremy."

"And why is she with Bonnie and Jeremy?"

"They needed her help." She replied vaguely.

Klaus rushed forward again, pinning Elena to the wall. "I haven't got all day so you're going to tell me exactly where she is and precisely what she's doing – now." He growled before backing away.

"New Orleans. They're tracking a group of vampires."

Again Klaus felt his temper flare up. Caroline versus a group of presumably brutal vampires with only Bonnie and Jeremy as backup. He gritted his teeth and was preparing to leave when Elena spoke again.

"I talked to Jeremy they're already on their way back – there's no point in going after her." She pointed out.

"And Caroline?" Klaus managed to bite out between gritted teeth.

"Is fine." Elena responded, seeing the genuine concern in his eyes. She might never understand what her friend had going on with Klaus but no one who had ever seen them together could deny that he loved her more than his own immortal life.

Not sparing Elena another glance, Klaus shot off, returning home to wait for Caroline. And waiting wasn't something he had ever been any good at. Brandishing a tumbler of scotch in one hand, he drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair he sat in and contemplated what he would say when Caroline got home. On the one hand, he felt the need to chastise her for not only lying to him but for also putting herself in danger. But on the other hand, he was incredibly relieved to know that she was safe and there was no reason why her punishment couldn't be pleasurable for them both.

He heard the lock squeak open and the rustling sound of Caroline trying to sneak up the stairs. She had barely made it to the bottom of the winding staircase when Klaus appeared in front of her. He immediately took in the state of her clothes. Her top was ripped and her pants stained with mud. Her normally perfect blonde hair showed signs of a fight and if that hadn't given it away the blood on her hands would have.

"Are you okay?" Klaus asked, pulling Caroline to him and searching her body for bruises.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She exclaimed but let him search her anyway. Caroline had been hoping to make it up to their bedroom and avoid this particular exchange. "Elena and I were just hunting in the woods. We took down a bear." She lied quickly.

Klaus narrowed his eyes as he looked at her. "Is that so?"

Caroline knew when she was busted and she pursed her lips, shooting him a sheepish grin. "Maybe?"

"I'm glad you can take this situation lightly." Klaus spoke with barely restrained anger.

She rolled her eyes, bracing one hand on the stair bannister. "It's not a big deal. I'm fine. Bonnie and Jeremy are fine." Caroline moved to walk up the stairs.

Klaus watched on in a mixture of shock and anger. Shocked that she could be so nonchalant about what had clearly been a brutal fight and angry that she was simply walking away from him. Klaus shot up the stairs and found Caroline undressing in their bedroom, the ruined garments being tossed in the direction of the trash.

"So your plan is to ignore the fact that you lied to my face and put your life in danger for reasons you have yet to explain?" Klaus asked, watching as Caroline, in nothing but her underwear, ran into the adjoining bathroom to wash the blood from her hands.

"In all fairness, I wouldn't have had to lie if you weren't always so overprotective. I can take care of myself you know."

"Clearly." Klaus bit out, gesturing to her sullied clothes and the blood washing down the sink.

"Well I won." She said, placing a hand on her bare hip.

"And that somehow justifies your actions?"

"My actions don't _need _to be justified. You can't control my entire life." Caroline stormed forward and came to a stop in front of him, crossing her arms over her chest.

Klaus locked his hands behind his back to keep from shaking some sense into her. "Don't be dramatic Caroline. You lie and somehow I'm the bad guy in this situation?"

"I only lied because you're so, ugh." She threw her hands in the air and made to move past him when Klaus yanked her around and pressed her body to his.

He couldn't help it. Caroline was just so sexy when she was all fired up. And he was still riding the high from knowing that she was okay. All he wanted now was to pull her to him and run his hands all over that silky, bare skin. So he did. Klaus trapped her in his arms and caught her lips with his. His tongue dove into the damp interior of her mouth as his fingers clenched in her hair. Shock held Caroline paralyzed for the first five seconds and then a wild surge of heat flamed up between her thighs, stretching every feminine muscle wickedly taut. She'd been preparing for a long winded argument but this was better. So much better.

Klaus' hands gripped her ass, grinding her body against his hardening length. She gasped into his mouth, her nipples tightening at the rocking motion.

"There's still your punishment, love." He whispered against her lips, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and nibbling on it.

"What?" Caroline asked, dazed by his kisses.

She felt Klaus smirk against her lips and then before she knew what was happening, the world turned upside down. One second she was standing upright, the next, she was looking at the floor. Her stomach was pressed against his thighs, her butt was thrust invitingly in the air, and her nose nearly hit the floor. It would have too, had she not instinctively thrown her hands out to catch herself.

"What're you doing?" She practically shrieked, tilting her head to look at Klaus who was sitting on the bed with her thrown over his lap.

"Teaching you a lesson, sweetheart." He smirked.

A sharp slap echoed in the otherwise silent room a split second before the pain radiated through her bottom.

"Fuck. I wasn't ready," she cried, looking over her shoulder at the wolf grinning behind her.

"And your point is?" Klaus asked, caressing the heat blossoming over her left butt cheek, the sting already subsiding.

His calloused hand came down on her again, this time the blow striking a different spot, and Caroline squeezed her eyes shut as the burn settled and turned into something else, leaving her clit begging to be touched and her pussy shamelessly, sopping wet. Klaus followed each blow with a slow, tender caress of the burning skin. In a way this prolonged Caroline's torture because she never knew when the next blow was coming. Each time his hand came down hard on her ass, bolts of electricity shot through Caroline and she found herself rocking against his leg. She clenched her legs together, hoping for some friction to ease the delicious ache sizzling at the apex of her thighs, as Klaus soothed her tender cheeks with his nimble fingers.

"So pink, so pretty." Klaus muttered, watching on in fascination as Caroline's derrière flushed an appealing shade of pink each time his hand came down on her.

When Caroline was expecting another blow, he dipped two fingers into her soaking pussy, pushing them deep into her heat. An unabashed moan erupted from her slender throat as Caroline tried desperately to rock against his fingers. With an arm draped over her back, Klaus stilled her movements before sinking another finger into her depths. Again Caroline tried, in vain, to force him deeper. Klaus slid his fingers from her pussy and rained another blow down on her ass. Not expecting that one, Caroline yelped, feeling a new wave of sparks dance along her clit.

"Stop moving." Klaus muttered, stroking her pink tinted ass.

"Please, please, please." Caroline rambled almost incoherently, blinded by the need for a release.

"Tell me you're sorry for lying to me." Klaus said, his index finger trailing along the slick folds between her legs.

She dug her nails into his thighs, her clit throbbing almost painfully. "Klaus, please." She begged wantonly.

Klaus could listen to her pleas all day – they were music to his ears.

"I can give you what you need love." He said lightly, trailing a finger down her spine. "All you have to do is repent."

Caroline growled but her frustration was only met with a chuckle.

"How about no." She bit out and seconds later Klaus' hand came down on her again. Caroline caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she let out a long, low moan. She was so close, practically tiptoeing on the edge. All she needed was a little shove.

And Klaus would be all too happy to give it to her. For a price.

"Promise never to lie again." He commanded, sinking his finger back into her silky depths and loving the way her back arched at the contact.

"Stop playing games, Nik." Caroline managed to mutter, shocking herself with her ability to compose full sentences right now.

With a small smirk, Klaus sought out that little nub of pleasure and Caroline all but shot off his lap when he took her clit between his fingers. He took this opportunity to bring his hand down again, raining a series of light blows down on her already tender ass.

Caroline thought it would be enough to make her come. She could feel the beginnings of the orgasm tinkling along her nerves but release was just out of her reach. There was no way she was getting there without Klaus.

"I'm sorry I lied. I promise I won't anymore." She finally relented, willing to promise anything in this moment just for sweet relief from this exquisite torture.

"That's all I wanted to hear." Klaus replied with a smirk.

He stroked her sensitive, reddened skin, soothing it, and heightening her senses, then slipped back to her tight, little sheath. Klaus pumped his fingers inside her then pulled almost all the way out before sliding home again. All the while Caroline bucked wildly in his lap until the waves of her orgasm finally came crashing over her.

When her orgasm had subsided and Caroline was no longer flailing wildly on his lap, Klaus swung her up and rearranged them so that she was straddling his lap. Caroline brought her arms up and wrapped them around his neck, her head falling onto his chest.

"You should teach me a lesson more often." She mumbled lethargically into his shirt.

Klaus just grinned, trailing his fingers down her spine. Perhaps he would.


	23. The Prisoner and The Agent: Part Deux

**The Prisoner and The Agent: Part Deux **

Sitting on his living room couch, Klaus watched the little brown package perched on the coffee table. It was unmarked but he knew precisely _who_ the package was from. But he didn't know _what_ it was, and he was a bit reluctant to find out.

After a few more moments of contemplation, Klaus snatched up the package. He tore the seal open, tilted it upside down and watched as a sleek phone slid out. Behind it, a tiny piece of paper with a number scrawled across it fluttered out. He smirked before picking up the phone and dialing the number. There would be no point in waiting to try to trace the call – she was too smart for that.

"I see you got my package." A delightfully teasing voice came across the line after the first ring.

"And what an interesting package it is." Klaus responded, leaning back against the couch as he tried to picture her, wherever she was in the world. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, knowing that this conversation was in violation of a number of rules but simply not caring.

She laughed. It was a light, tinkling laugh. Like there was a joke only she was in on. He knew he'd be hearing that laugh in his dreams tonight. "I want to help you."

"Help me?" Klaus asked, sitting up straight, curious now.

"You're looking for a man you call the White Rook. Art theft, forgery, black market connections, is any of this ringing a bell?"

He struggled to keep the shock from his voice. The "White Rook" was his and Stefan's latest case and they had half the bureau trying to track him down after a series of particularly ballsy heists. Every lead turned out to be a dead end and it was seeming less and less likely that they'd ever have a shot at catching the guy. At this point, it shouldn't have surprised him that she knew all of this but it did. She'd never cease to amaze him. "And how'd you come across this knowledge?" Klaus couldn't help but ask.

"I have my ways." Caroline replied in a mocking voice.

Not willing to play this game her way, Klaus let out a snort. "This may come as a surprise to you but the bureau generally frowns upon us working with criminals – particularly escaped convicts."

"Green Haven should be thanking me for shedding some light on their vast security issues." Caroline pointed out.

"And I'm sure whatever you took was worth it?"

He could practically feel her grinning on the other end of the line. It didn't matter that they'd hardly spent a few hours in each other's presence, Klaus had pursued this woman for six years – he knew her. When Caroline didn't respond, he spoke again.

"What's in it for you? I can't imagine you're taking this risk of getting caught out of the pure goodness of your heart."

"We both know my heart's full of gold but it just so happens I do stand to gain a little something from the timely arrest of our mutual friend."

"Care to share."

Caroline just snorted. "Not really."

"Funny, I posed it as a question but really it was more of a demand." Klaus replied, knowing just how far he could push her before she lost her patience.

"Let's just say he's making my life a little difficult right now."

"Turning in a fellow conman – doesn't that make you a traitor?"

Caroline wasted no time responding. "I'm loyal to no one but myself. I don't owe anyone else anything. One of the many perks of what I do."

"With a telling remark like that, why should I trust you?" He asked the obvious question.

She sighed and he could picture her rolling her eyes. "Tomorrow. 2 o'clock. L'Atelier. Table six. Show up don't show up – your choice."

The dial tone hit before he could say anything else. Tossing the phone back on the coffee table, Klaus proceeded to stare at it for the next twenty minutes. He wanted to go, and if he was being honest with himself it wasn't just for the white rook though. He wanted to see her. Klaus didn't know why but he had this undeniable urge to meet the Duchess in person again. Stare into those glittering blue eyes. Watch that silky waterfall of blonde curls dance across her shoulders. He knew the logical thing to do right now would be to call Stefan and talk strategy. She had handed him a golden opportunity to catch her again, for real this time, and he knew the smart thing to do would be to seize this chance. He _knew_ that. But Klaus only sat there and watched the phone.

The next morning he found himself sitting at a round table, surrounded by some of the bureau's brightest minds and not a single one of them could give him an in on catching White Rook. The window of opportunity to recover the priceless artifacts he had stolen was closing and Klaus could feel the frustration eating away at him. He and Stefan had a near perfect record and while they might not be able to bring the Duchess in, they could certainly catch this guy.

Glancing down at his watch, Klaus realized it was 1:15. This morning when he'd gotten up, he had convinced himself he wouldn't play her games. He wouldn't go to meet her. But as 2 o'clock drew closer, Klaus could hardly fight the urge to play along and see where she led him. He reasoned with himself, pointing out that no one else seemed to have any leads on the case. If taking one little meeting with Caroline Forbes could solve this, then why shouldn't he humor her? A little voice in the back of his head told him he shouldn't take this chance and fall down the rabbit hole. Just a small taste of her and he'd be back to the days of obsessing. Days and nights spent poring over tips and leads and maps and contacts – all with the sole purpose of tracking down this one phenomenal woman.

When the face on his watch read 1:30, Klaus grabbed his jacket and slid it on. He was halfway out the door when Stefan's voice sounded behind him.

"Where're you headed?"

Klaus spun to face his partner. "Out to lunch." He lied with ease. And the lie would have worked on anyone that wasn't Stefan.

His far too intuitive partner shot him a disbelieving look before saying "Oh, I'll come with."

"It's a date." Klaus shot back, stopping Stefan with a hand to his chest.

"A lunch date? That's not your style."

"It is today." He replied with a shrug.

After a moment of silence Stefan frowned and said "I don't want to know what you're really doing do I?"

"Probably not." Klaus shook his head with a smirk as he turned and strolled out of the building.

He had been sitting at table six for fifteen minutes, eyes darting around in search of Caroline, when a young man appeared beside him.

"Niklaus Mikaelson?" He asked and when Klaus nodded, the guy dropped an envelope onto the table before turning and leaving.

He slid the little white envelope open and pulled out a small card with an address scrawled on it. Smirking to himself, Klaus stood up. Of course she wouldn't meet him at the assigned spot. This was her way of making sure he wasn't setting her up. He didn't have to think twice about how she had gotten that guy to aid her in her plans, Klaus didn't doubt for a second Caroline's powers of persuasion.

Having hailed a cab, Klaus pulled up in front of an apartment building less than ten minutes later. He walked up the stairs and knocked on the apartment door written on the card. There was shuffling on the other side of the door before it flung open and the Duchess herself stood there, hair cascading down her shoulders and a cunning smile on her face.

She stepped back and he walked in, eyes roving the empty apartment. No furniture, no personal items – she had clearly chosen an apartment on the market for this illicit meeting.

"I wasn't sure you'd have the balls to show up." Caroline teased with a grin as she turned to face him, following him into the empty living room.

"And yet, here I am." Klaus gestured with his arms out. "Now, do you have something for me?" He asked, keeping his eyes trained on her as she circled him.

"I do." Caroline said with a curt nod but didn't continue.

They stared at each other for a moment before she paced backward toward a purse he hadn't seen perched there on the windowsill. Reaching in, she pulled out a thin manila folder tapping it against her hand.

"This," she waved the folder enticingly in front of him, "should be all you need."

Klaus stepped forward to reach for it but at the last moment she pulled it back, hiding it behind her back with a coy smirk.

"I think I'm entitled to ask for something in return."

He rose one eyebrow and watched her intently. "And here I thought we were doing you a favor by getting rid of the competition."

Caroline cocked her shoulder and scoffed. "He isn't my competition. He's not half the artist I am."

"I believe you mean _con _artist."

"I'm an artist all the same." She said, cocking her head and fixing him with that same slow, coy smile.

That smile must have gotten her into an awful lot of trouble throughout her life. Although, it probably got her out of a great deal of trouble as well. "Well if he's not your competition then why go through all this trouble to get rid of him?"

"Two reasons. One, he hurt a friend of mine. And I look out for my friends."

"I thought you were loyal to no one but yourself?" He pointed out.

Caroline continued as if he hadn't interrupted. "And two, I thought given how disappointed your superiors must have been when you let me slip through your fingers,"

"You escaping was no fault of mine." Klaus interrupted again and again Caroline continued on as if he hadn't spoken.

"I thought I'd throw you a bone to redeem your good name."

Klaus couldn't help but let out a deep laugh. He was risking his career and quite possibly jail time for aiding and abetting a known criminal but something about being in her presence put him at ease. Like after six years of hopelessly chasing her, she was the only place where he felt calm.

"So, my bone please." He replied, gesturing to the envelope hidden behind her back.

She just grinned, shaking her head no. "Like I said, I'm entitled to something in return."

"And what would you like?" Klaus asked, already knowing there were certain lines he simply wouldn't cross so if whatever she wanted pushed the boundaries of legality he'd leave now and find another way to White Rook.

She paused for a moment, before stepping closer until their chests were brushing, her eyes darting across his face. "A kiss."

Klaus froze, unable to stop his eyes from glancing down at her full, inviting lips. He could already imagine the way they would taste. He noticed they were free of any artificial gloss or lipstick so it would be nothing but her pure and simple taste. But before he could dip his head to find out just what Caroline tastes like, in his head Klaus ran through all the reasons why he shouldn't do this. It crossed the line. It crossed a number of lines. Lines he couldn't come back from.

Before his brain could tell his lips to move, Klaus was speaking.

"You haunt my dreams," he ground out with a harsh laugh. "You could be seriously bad for my health."

"Kiss me." Caroline whispered and her breath raced across his lips.

"I can't." He muttered back, his eyes still locked on her lips.

"Can't? Or won't?"

"I shouldn't."

Caroline moved a hairsbreadth closer and her mouth ghosted across his. The touch was barely there but Klaus' entire body rippled then tensed at the feeling. His tongue darted out to slide across his lips, seeking any lingering taste that simple brush may have left behind. He couldn't remember a time when his self-restraint had ever been tested to this extent. It took everything in him to not yank her to him and take her the way she was clearly asking to be taken.

Before his mind could fully recover, Caroline had stepped back.

"Maybe next time." She said with a sly smile, bringing the envelope from behind her back and pressing it into his hands.

She snatched up her purse and sauntered by him. By the time Klaus' mind had returned to a functioning level, he spun to see Caroline walking away – throwing one last coquettish look over her shoulder before she disappeared.


	24. The One Where He Follows Her

**The One Where He Follows Her**

"I want to go home."

The announcement came on the heels of an earth-shattering climax. Caroline lay sweaty and half draped over Klaus, her leg thrown over his and her luscious breasts pressed against his side, a soft hand stroking his chest.

Klaus turned his head to the side to lock eyes with Caroline, bringing a hand up to swipe a damp strand of hair back from her delicate forehead. "I'll arrange for the jet to pick us up tonight. We'll be back in London by morning." He spoke without a second thought. He, for one, was enjoying their time in Bali but Klaus would follow Caroline to the end of the world and if she wanted to go home then they'd go home.

Tearing her eyes away from him, Caroline instead fixed her gaze on his chest, toying with the fine hairs there. "That's not what I meant."

Using a finger to tilt her head back up to face his, Klaus shot her an inquisitive look.

"I want to go home. To Mystic Falls." Caroline muttered. As soon as the words left her lips all the post coital bliss fled from the room and was replaced by a tense silence that set her nerves on edge.

She'd known the request wouldn't sit well with him. Caroline hadn't been back to Mystic Falls in almost a decade since she had left with Klaus. She'd been given plenty of reasons to leave and not once had Caroline ever regretted her decision but it was time – she was strong enough, she could go back.

Klaus felt his jaw lock and tried to keep the frustration out of his voice. "What happened to never looking back?"

He felt a cool breath of air wisp across his chest as Caroline let out a sigh. And to think the day had started off with such promise when he'd woken up to find her supple lips wrapped around his dick. Most likely a ploy to soften him up for this blow. She wanted to go back to Mystic Falls. Where her friends had turned their backs on her. Her own mother cast her out.

Caroline took in the grim look on his face and contemplated his question. Never look back. She'd made that promise to herself and to him. But that was a long time ago when the wounds were still fresh. Caroline was healed now and Mystic Falls was still her home. "It's the holidays. Christmas was always special for me and my mom. Hot chocolate by the fire, decorating the tree together, baking Christmas cookies. And I don't know how many Christmases my mom has left in her."

She spoke in a wistful voice as she remembered childhood Christmases but Klaus was having a hard time reconciling the images she was painting with the woman who had turned her back on her only daughter. Caroline seemed ready and willing to forgive but Klaus would never forget the look on Liz Forbes face when Caroline had come clean about their relationship. He remembered the look on each and every one of their faces - the people who called Caroline family. He could remember the looks of disappointment and disgust, the harsh words that were exchanged. So no, he wasn't too keen on the idea of going back to Mystic Falls.

Caroline knew this and was more than prepared to fight this battle. Her fingers stroked lightly down his chest, running along his happy trail. She loved the way the smooth muscles jumped beneath her caress.

Klaus' gaze shifted down their bodies and followed the movement of her soft fingers dancing over his lower abdomen. "Are you going to be doing much more of that?"

"Maybe." Caroline replied with a small shrug.

"Could you do it a little lower?"

"Maybe."

When she didn't, he looked back up at her, an unspoken question on his face.

"Mystic Falls?" She asked and Klaus groaned in response.

"What about Aspen? Elijah and Katherine will be there. We can spend the holidays skiing."

Caroline shook her head, her hair grazing his chest. "I'm going to Mystic Falls. It's okay, you don't have to come."

Like hell he didn't. When they'd left Mystic Falls almost ten years ago, Caroline had been shattered. The people she loved unconditionally had thrust her out of their world. Their scorn had ripped Caroline apart and Klaus could see it in her eyes for weeks after they first left. So he'd be by her side when she went back and he'd make damn sure that didn't happen again. Klaus would make a bloody example of the first person who mistreated her.

"Of course I have to come." He bit out, none too happy about it. "We'll leave tonight."

Caroline beamed up at Klaus and let her hand slide lower to wrap around him. His eyes drifted closed on a groan. Then he pulled Caroline's head up to his, kissing her and moving his hips forward, thrusting into her hand.

"You know, sweetheart," he murmured between kisses on her mouth, and her cheek, and her ear, and that very sensitive spot on the side of her neck, "we still have plenty of time until then."

"Is that so?" Caroline asked as a moan tripped off her lips. She was melting under all those kisses and the very gentle exploration he was making with his fingers between her legs.

Klaus just threw her a slow smirk before rolling on top of her. Tomorrow he'd have to share her with the people who had turned their backs on her but for today, Caroline was all his.

Later that night, Caroline slept in Klaus' arms as the private jet flew them across the Atlantic. The closer they came to Mystic Falls the more aggravated he became, knowing their arrival was imminent. Maybe it wasn't too late to tell the pilot to turn them around. They could still fly to Aspen. But Caroline would be livid and a drawn out fight wasn't how Klaus wanted to spend the holidays.

By 8 in the morning, they had landed at an airport a few towns over. Caroline filled the silence with nervous chatter as Klaus drove them into Mystic Falls. When they reached Caroline's old home, the two sat in the car for a while as she drank in the sight of it. The paint was chipped and she could see one of the rails on the bannister had fallen off but the house was still her childhood home and after ten years it was a beautiful sight to see.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Klaus asked again. If she gave him so much as the slightest hint that she was uncomfortable, he'd turn them around and have them out of here in record time.

Caroline just nodded, throwing him a reassuring small smile before climbing out of the car. He followed her up the steps and she rang the bell, listening carefully to hear her mother shuffling around upstairs. A few moments later the door flung open and Caroline came face to face with her mother. The years had been good to Liz Forbes. Her blonde hair was shot through with strands of grey and there were small wrinkles around her eyes but Caroline was relieved to see that she looked good. She had been worried that being left alone would destroy her mother – even if the woman had chosen for things to be that way.

Not sure what to expect, Caroline was shocked when Liz threw her arms around her daughter in a tight hug.

"Caroline." She said, still in shock as she gripped her estranged daughter to her.

This reaction was better than anything Caroline could have hoped for. She let her mom pull her into the house, the two still wrapped in each other's arms – caught somewhere between laughing and crying. When they finally separated, Caroline looked over her shoulder at Klaus still standing on the porch before looking back at her mother. He needed to be invited in.

Jaw locked and eyes wary, he waited not so patiently for Sheriff Forbes to allow him in. He didn't care how friendly things looked right now – Klaus wasn't leaving Caroline alone with this woman.

The moment of silence stretched on, Caroline fixing her mother with an imploring stare, before the older woman finally relented. "Come on in." She said, gesturing into her home.

Turning away from Klaus, Liz faced her daughter, still reeling from the reality of seeing her here after so long. She may have turned Caroline away but that had been when she was under the impression that her daughter would come to her senses, leave that monster and come back. "How have you been?" She asked, finding the moment almost uncomfortable now.

"Good. Great." Caroline smiled at her mother.

"How about some coffee? We can talk." Liz suggested, strategically ignoring Klaus.

Caroline shot him a reassuring look before following her mother into the kitchen. Klaus strolled into the living room, shamelessly listening in on Caroline's conversation with her mother. He'd give them the illusion of privacy but until he was sure the woman wasn't going to hurt Caroline again, Klaus wouldn't be taking any chances. Once he was satisfied Liz didn't have a hidden agenda, he tuned out of the conversation, leaving Caroline to her joyous reunion.

In the meantime he took in the house. His eyes scanned the photos of Caroline that littered the walls and fireplace. At least Liz Forbes hadn't tried to erase Caroline's existence from her life. Klaus paused by the bookshelf, noticing a scrapbook hanging off the edge. Pulling the book from the shelf, he flipped through the laminated pages documenting Caroline's life from when she was a baby up until her high school years. He laughed at the various Halloween costumes through the years and the lavish princess themed birthday parties.

Klaus paused on a picture of Caroline at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant the year she won. The wide grin on her face was infectious, plump coral lips pulled back over pearly white teeth. A silver tiara sat braced on top of her shiny blonde curls. The silky green of her dress highlighted her brilliant eyes. Eyes that were glittering with pure, unadulterated happiness. Without a second thought Klaus slid the picture from its spot, folding it before slipping it into his pocket.

Meanwhile, Caroline was listening intently as her mother regaled her with the tales of everything she had missed since leaving Mystic Falls.

"Matt has a wife and a kid now." She said, sipping at her black coffee. "He coaches football at the high school. Led the team to state championships four years in a row – he's like the town hero."

"That's great." Caroline said with a grin. She had always worried about Matt surviving this town.

"You know I always thought that you two were good together."

"Mom" Caroline interrupted, already wary of the turn the conversation had taken.

"No really, that was always the life I dreamt for you. A nice husband, a nice house, a few kids."

"Mom ,you know I-"

Liz interrupted her. "But the cure – you could have taken it. You could've had it all Caroline."

"I do have it all." She snapped, struggling to reign in her temper. "Mom I'm happy. He makes me happy."

Liz sighed, rubbing her hands together. "I guess that's all a parent can want for their child."

Caroline gave her a small, grateful smile. She didn't want to fight anymore but if her mother couldn't accept Klaus then that meant she couldn't accept Caroline either. She knew Klaus wasn't the son-in-law her mother had imagined and she wasn't asking for miracles but a little acceptance would be nice.

"What about Bonnie?" Caroline asked, rushing to change the subject.

"She's good. Runs a little shop in town. You should go see her."

Caroline pursed her lips and nodded lightly. Things were going well with her mother but she might not be so lucky with her former friends. Especially when they saw who she had come with. Although, maybe ten years' time had changed things. Maybe they would understand now. But she would cross that bridge when she came to it. It was infinitely better to tackle one problem at a time.

"Maybe tomorrow. Today should be just about us." Caroline said with a grin.

Liz grinned back, taking her daughter's hand in hers.

"I know it might be hard to believe given how things were when we parted but I'm really glad you came back Caroline." Liz spoke, tears beginning to cloud her eyes.

"Me too." She replied, tightening her hand around her mother's.

So what if things were still on shaky ground. Her mother and Klaus would never get along. Her friends had no idea she was back in town. And Caroline wasn't sure how long she could convince Klaus to stick around. But for now, Caroline would damn well be jolly. After all, 'tis the season for it.


	25. The One Where She Waits For Him

**This is completely plotless smut so if that's not your thing feel free to skip right over this.**

* * *

**The One Where She Waits For Him**

There was nothing Klaus hated more than being separated from Caroline. It was a rarity but when it did happen, it felt like an entire limb had been severed off and he found himself consumed with thoughts of where she was and what she was doing and if she was safe. But sometimes duty called and being separated from Caroline (if only temporarily) was unavoidable.

Although, Klaus had found it helped his temper infinitely to hear her voice. Propping his feet up on the desk in front of him, Klaus pulled his phone from his pocket.

The phone had barely rung once when there was a soft click and Caroline's voice lilted across the line.

"Hey you." Klaus felt his entire body relax at just the sound of her voice.

"Hey love." He replied, the pleased smirk evident in his voice.

Caroline put down the sundress she'd been surveying, clenching the towel wrapped around her. She'd just hopped out of the shower and was pleased to start her morning off with a call from Klaus. Caroline would never admit this to him (no need to stroke his already huge ego) but when he went away she missed him more than she would ever let on.

"What're you doing, sweetheart?" Klaus asked idly, picturing her flitting around their house with all that boundless energy of hers.

"I just got out of the shower." Caroline replied offhandedly. "When are you coming home?"

"Soon." Klaus growled out, his mind already running away with the image of Caroline in the shower. Then Caroline drying off. Then Caroline dropping the towel to the floor of their bedroom and standing there completely naked, nipples tightening in the brush of cold air. "Just got out of the shower?" Klaus asked, his voice dropping to that sensual level Caroline was all too familiar with.

She let out a low, husky laugh. "Yes Nik, just got out of the shower." Caroline stood in their closet, searching for something to wear. "I needed a particularly cold one this morning after waking up from a very steamy dream starring you."

Klaus felt his body tense and he pictured her tossing and turning in their bed, aching for him. "Don't tease me love."

"You mean you don't want to hear about my dream?" The words were out before Caroline had even thought about it, her voice dropping to a seductive low.

"You know I do." Klaus growled out, his fingers clenching, itching to touch Caroline.

Caroline loved that she could get him this hot and bothered in the space of a few seconds. She loved that he always craved her. She loved that he didn't just have had this heart-stopping effect on her, she had that effect on him too.

"I won't go into the indecent details" Caroline teased, "but I will tell you I woke up soaking wet and moaning your name."

Klaus groaned, his hand moving to rub over the tent in his jeans. "And when you woke up, did you touch yourself Caroline? Did you imagine it was my fingers plunging into those silky depths?"

Her breath caught in her throat and her nipples tightened further at his words. She could already feel the ache returning between her thighs. Klaus heard her breath catch and couldn't hold back the smirk. He could quite easily picture her standing in their closet, her devilish little hand easing up under her towel and between her smooth thighs.

"Maybe." Caroline replied, taking a seat on the small bench in the closet before her knees gave out under the heady weight of his words.

"Touch yourself for me now, sweetheart." Klaus rumbled, his tone making it clear that this wasn't a request but a demand. Caroline may have been the one who'd begun the teasing but everything about the way Klaus' voice came through the phone said that he was the one in charge now.

Before her brain could send her body any directions, Caroline's right hand was moving between her legs, her left hand clutching the phone tightly in her grip.

"Go slow." Klaus growled out and her hand froze right above her soaking wet core. "Stroke your folds, lightly. I want you to spread all that moisture, get it nice and slick for me love."

Caroline did as he commanded, panting in his ear as her fingers danced lightly across her pussy.

"Now slip two fingers in." Klaus manage to groan out when he was satisfied that she had prepped herself enough. Caroline let out a long moan as her fingers dove in and Klaus tugged down his zipper at the provocative sound.

"Are you touching yourself?" Caroline gasped as she asked him.

Klaus just let out a low chuckle. "Now, now Caroline. Stay focused." He said, even as his hand tugged away at his hard as steel length. "I want to bury my face there but sadly I can't. So keep petting yourself love. Keep it warm for me."

He listened to her panting wantonly for a moment, relishing the delightful little sounds, before he continued. "Go faster now Caroline. Those aren't your pretty little fingers buried in your pussy, it's my cock. Mine, and I'm going to fuck you until you scream."

Caroline fingers sped up, plunging deep only to withdraw to the very edge before sinking back in again. The sound of his voice alone made her pussy clench, his words making her fingers seek to go deeper and deeper – aching to fill the void like his cock would. Not that there was any comparison, fooling around with herself would never come close to what it was like to have Klaus buried deep inside her.

Klaus continued to encourage her, rumbling out "Stroke yourself harder and faster. Imitate me fucking you."

A slave to the ironclad directive in his voice, Caroline did as he bid, moving her fingers at vampire speed and loving the way her pussy clenched around her fingers like it would his cock.

"It's not the same." Caroline ground out through gritted teeth, her fingers still hard at work.

"I know it isn't, love." Klaus replied with a smirk. He loved being reminded that only he could bring her to unbelievable heights. "How about next time I leave, I give you a dildo that's a perfect replica of my cock. Would that help satisfy you love?"

Caroline bit down on her bottom lip at his words. Of course no sex toy could do quite what Klaus did for her but just the suggestion of a dildo molded to the exact shape and size of his dick was enough to send Caroline's eyes rolling to the back of her head.

Caroline was on the cusp of an orgasm when Klaus' brought her to an abrupt halt.

"Stop." Klaus let out a low growl and despite her body's desperate need for release, Caroline's fingers froze. "I don't want you to come. I want you aching and desperate for me when I come home."

With a moan of disappointment, Caroline pulled her fingers away from her throbbing heat. "You'd better have quite the performance prepared if I'm not allowed to come until you get home."

Klaus just smirked, tucking his hard length away. If he was going to keep her waiting, it was only fair that he do the same. "Well first, I'm going to eat you out until you beg me to stop. And when you think you're just about to blackout from the burning pleasure, I'll fuck you until you can't walk." He said, almost nonchalantly.

Caroline fought the urge to touch herself again. If she did, he would know.

"Get home soon then." She growled, standing to snatch a dress from the racks.

Klaus grinned, hearing the frustration in her voice and loving it. She might be moody about it now but when he got home and got between her legs, the wait would have been well worth it. "Don't worry love, I will."

* * *

Caroline's body was on fire. Every aching muscle, every nerve ending, had unbearable sparks shooting along them. There wasn't a word for what Caroline was feeling, she had surpassed horny a long time ago. It'd been three days since Klaus had made his promises and demands and every night she thought about disobeying him – contemplated running her fingers along her smooth folds and bringing herself at least a tiny bit of the pleasure he was denying her but every night she changed her mind. Caroline wasn't sure how but she knew that he would _know _if she brought herself to an orgasm. And starting with no intention to finish was a slippery slope so Caroline kept her hands to herself – or rather kept her hands off herself. All to the point where she was just about ready to burst.

Pushing aside thoughts of Klaus, Caroline shot up in bed at the faint sound of movement downstairs. Klaus wasn't supposed to get back until tomorrow night and it was way too late for anyone to just be stopping by. Thinking quickly as the light sound of footsteps came closer, Caroline jumped from the bed, broke the leg off of one of the wooden bedside tables and raced to stand by the door. The door to the bedroom swung open but before Caroline could react, the makeshift stake had been tossed aside and she found herself pressed a familiar, toned body.

"What the hell was that?" She shrieked, slapping Klaus on the chest.

He just laughed, pulling her even closer and burying his nose in her hair. He'd missed the way she smelled. The way she felt pressed up against him. He'd even missed the sound of her voice when she was snapping at him – like now.

"I could have hurt you." Caroline said, bringing her arms up around his neck.

He just shot her an incredulous look. "Not likely, love."

"You weren't supposed to be back until tomorrow." She pointed out, trailing her lips along his collarbone and loving the way his muscles rippled at the contact.

"I had more pressing matters to tend to here." He growled out, his hands cupping her ass.

Caroline just grinned. "Is that so?"

Klaus didn't respond, instead lifted her in his arms, raced forward and threw her down onto the bed. Caroline felt all the pent up energy of the last few days magnify as she watched him stand over her, his eyes trailing down her negligée clad body. With a cool smirk, Caroline ran her fingers gently up her thighs, lifting the lingerie slowly with it. She saw his jaw lock and his eyes go dark as more of her skin was revealed. With a final flourish, Caroline lifted the silk over her head and tossed it aside, leaving her lying bare on the bed.

"I waited for you." She whispered softly, not having to remind Klaus of the commands he had made.

"Good." He growled out, crawling onto the bed with all the inherent grace of a lethal cat.

Caroline backed up to the headboard as he moved over her, the smirk on his face making his salacious intent clear. Their eyes locked before Klaus lifted both her hands and wrapped her fingers around the bedpost.

"Keep them there." The 'or else' implied rang through pretty clear and Caroline gripped onto the wood for dear life.

Klaus took in the sight of her like this, deliciously bare and served up to him on a platter. He relished the vision for a moment, knowing the wait was killing Caroline. Smirk still in place, eventually he began to glide down her body with sweet, torturous kisses along every inch of her. Kisses meant to tease and torment – the way just the thought of her like this had teased and tormented him while he was gone. His skillful mouth was incredibly and deliberately soft as he rained kisses across her delicate ribs and into her tiny navel. Knowing it would work her up even further, Klaus avoided her quivering breasts altogether, choosing to focus on absolutely every other inch of her trembling torso. Not new to his games, Caroline realized he was torturing her systematically when he moved back up her body and began to kiss along her smooth shoulder tops and up one of her arms.

Feeling Caroline shiver, Klaus licked and kissed along the undersides of her plump breasts causing her to arch her back, wanting nothing more than for him to take her tight nipples in his mouth.

"Hold still," he muttered, a warning note in his voice.

Klaus did this for a while, reacquainting himself with her delectable little body (not that he would ever forget an inch of Caroline's body). He continued to torment them both for the longest time, kissing and licking and nuzzling into all her gloriously soft skin, while skipping all of the obvious spots that he knew would set her off before he'd even begun.

Moving further down her body, Klaus lifted her right leg to lay a kiss on the back of her knee there before lifting the other leg to give it the same treatment.

"Please." Caroline moaned out when what she really wanted to say was 'get on with it already.' But she knew Klaus and Caroline knew he'd be more inclined to give her what she needed if she asked nicely.

Klaus trailed open mouthed kisses up her inner thigh before taking her hips in his hands, his nails digging in as he pressed her down to the bed. Looking up at Caroline from between her legs, Klaus caught her eyes before dipping his head and finally burying his face at her core.

Caroline screamed and if it weren't for his grip on her waist, she would have shot up from the bed. She felt her grip tighten so hard around the bedpost that the wood cracked a little under the pressure. Caroline gasped as he licked at her with long, perfect strokes.

Taking his time and enjoying his feast, Klaus lapped at her pussy slowly. Gentle strokes between her smooth, pink folds with his tongue had her bucking wildly against his mouth, pleading for more. Her body was slick with sweat and her cries desperate as he tongued her, stroked her. And she tasted so unbelievably delectable Klaus couldn't help but thrust his tongue as deep inside her as he could go, and draw more of her into his mouth.

With an obscenely loud scream, Caroline exploded around his mouth, her hips moving wildly and her hands falling from the bedpost. But even as Caroline came back down from her nirvana, Klaus continued to lap at her. He withdrew his tongue from her folds to circle her clit. Klaus sucked the swollen, engorged bud into his mouth and Caroline felt her vision go fuzzy. She buried her fingers in his hair, pleading wantonly – though she wasn't sure if she was begging him to stop or keep going. His lips tightened on her clit, flicking it with his tongue, and Caroline's back arched. The sparks from the first orgasm were still racing across her body when Caroline felt the second one begin. She threw her head back on a loud moan, using her grip on Klaus' hair to push his head deeper between her legs.

"Please, please, please, please." Caroline didn't know what she was asking for but when the second orgasm came crashing over her she lost all ability to speak, descending into obscene moans and groans.

Klaus still wasn't done with her, not bothering to wait for the trembling to stop before he sunk a finger into her tight, wet sheath. Caroline gasped at the new intrusion but her body had lost all ability to function so she had no choice but to lay there and take Klaus' new onslaught of torture. It was a slow, deliberate stroke, the hard digit separating her muscles, making the still tender flesh tremble in building ecstasy. The slow penetration caused Caroline to whimper incoherently, her head swaying from side to side on the pillow. Klaus added another finger, this time grazing across the spot that he knew would send Caroline's hips flying off the bed again. His fingers slide home with smooth, forceful plunges that had Caroline building to another orgasm in a matter of minutes. She wasn't sure she could handle another one but she lacked the energy to tell him as much. Not that it would have mattered – Klaus would have forced the lusciously painful orgasm from her anyway.

Caroline's eyes rolled to the back of her head, toes curling, as she fell over the edge yet again. Caroline felt boneless, and more than a little light-headed, by the time Klaus eased his way back up her body, stripping quickly as he moved. She lay there, limp and pliant, not entirely sure that she could take anymore. Klaus didn't give her a choice, running the head of his dick along her slick folds once, twice, before sinking in deep on the first thrust. Again, Caroline's body bucked wildly, her nails dragging down his back hard enough to draw blood.

Klaus groaned at the feel of her, all tight and slick around him. Nothing in this world felt as perfect as being buried balls deep in Caroline. Drops of sweat slid down his chest as Klaus withdrew to the very edge before plunging back in. Caroline arched her back, rolling her hips wildly in an attempt to keep up with his quick thrusts. Bolts of ecstasy shot up her back as she twisted against the thick cock lodged in her pussy. Klaus growled, burying his face in Caroline's neck. He wanted this to last. _**Needed **_this to last. So with Herculean effort, he slowed his thrusts, moving in and out of Caroline at a leisurely pace. She was so tight and hot, Klaus was pretty sure Caroline was burning him alive. Not that he could think of a better way to go.

Klaus felt the beginnings of his release coming and slid a hand between their sweaty bodies to toy lightly with Caroline's clit. Her body didn't need the extra stimulation, she shattered. This time her scream was strangled, breathless as her body bowed, jerked, then began a repeated shudder that signaled the beginning of yet another orgasm.

"Come for me Caroline." Klaus growled, thrusting faster now.

The sound of his voice was all she needed. Caroline screamed and moaned her way through an earth-shattering climax, Klaus right there with her.

He let his weight sag onto her in the aftermath, their sweaty bodies clinging to each other. When he mustered up the energy to move, he rolled to the side, pulling Caroline's body against his.

"Was it worth the wait?" Klaus asked with a smirk after a few moments of silence.

When Caroline didn't respond he looked over to see she had literally passed out. Klaus laughed a little to himself. It was a shame, he was only just getting started. They had a lot of lost time to catch up on.


	26. The Card-shark and The Dealer

**The Card-shark and The Dealer**

Caroline wiped sweaty hands against the tight satin of her dangerously short skirt, belatedly hoping she didn't leave an imprint. Tonight was the night. The biggest night of her career as a Vegas card dealer thus far. _Croupier_ she mentally corrected herself. One of the other girls had taken to constantly reminding Caroline that they preferred to be called croupiers and she should prefer it too. Tonight was the night that she got moved up to one of the private rooms. Caroline had never stepped foot into one of those rooms, let alone thought she'd be working one so soon (she'd only been a croupier for a few months now). The private rooms were for the really high stakes poker games. The rooms where men tossed millions into the pot like it was nothing but couch change – which to them, it probably was. Her friend Bonnie, who had been here for almost two years before Caroline, had worked those rooms before. The pay was better, the tips were better, and the uniform was woefully shorter.

But it wasn't the uniform that had Caroline sweating (although the short, tight black satin mini, and deep-V crimson silk blouse along with the bowtie around her bare neck showed off a lot more than she would have liked). It was the knowledge of what she had to do that was making her so anxious.

As she was preparing for the game, she'd been dealt a blow she wasn't entirely sure she could recover from. John wanted her to throw the game.

John Gilbert was, technically, the only reason Caroline was still afloat right now. When she had been 18, Caroline refused to go to college like the rest of her friends. Instead, she wanted to see the world. She wanted to _live_. Her mom took this as Caroline wanting to continue her wild child lifestyle and promptly cut her off and kicked her out. So she hopped on a train to New York where she met a guy and after a year of dating, when Trevor wanted to make it big in underground boxing rings, she hopped on another train to Vegas to be with him. Trevor, however, wanted to be with four or five showgirls instead so Caroline belatedly realized that she'd gotten the sour end of that deal.

Anyway, she'd been pouring her sorrows out to her friend Elena when the girl mentioned that her uncle ran a few casinos in Vegas. A few short calls later, and Caroline found herself a job. She'd always been good with cards, had played a lot with her dad growing up.

Thinking of her dad brought Caroline's mind back to the present and what she had to do. He would never approve of her cheating, or helping anyone else cheat. But what was Caroline's supposed to say? John approached her with the offer to move up to one of the high stakes rooms and she couldn't very well turn down that kind of pay.

Caroline took a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself. She could do this. She _had _to do this. The men who would arrive at her table in just a few minutes were some of the wealthiest, most daring men in the world. And for a number of reasons, though they made her job possible, she loathed them. These people were used to waging millions of dollars on one flip of the cards, and just as used to losing as they were winning. This was child's play for them.

Did it _really _matter if she was the catalyst behind their losses tonight?

Not one of them would go home poor. Not one of them understood what it was like to lose everything they had, to fight and struggle for survival on a daily basis.

Caroline was still trying to bury her moral compass with this line of logic when an oily voice sounded behind her.

"You understand what you have to do."

Caroline schooled her face into one of impassivity before turning to face him. "Of course."

John winked lecherously as he tapped her on the ass. Caroline did her best not to flinch at his touch. She'd never tell Elena this but Caroline never liked John. Not that it mattered, he was the king of casinos in Vegas and if Caroline wanted to play the best tables and get the best pay then she had to put up with him.

"Be sure to keep the players happy, Caroline. Use those impressive breasts of yours to distract them as much as possible. And be sure to keep an eye on the man I point out to you. When the stakes get high enough, he'll throw you the signal."

Caroline felt her face burn, but whether from John's casual suggestion that she use her breasts to distract the players or from the idea of cheating—of going against her entire moral compass—she wasn't entirely sure. She figured it was a bit of both.

"I'll do what I can, boss," she said, trying not to fidget.

John's face turned hard, his stare cold and cruel. She'd seen that particular look before. A quiver washed over her at the thought of just what John was capable of.

"Be sure that you do, Caroline."

She was spared from having to answer as he turned away and strode toward the bar set up against the wall. Caroline let out another long breath. It was going to be a long night. She straightened her shoulders and steadied her hands before turning back to the table. Caroline had reached her place of composure when the black velvet curtain to the private entrance parted and the first player entered the room.

A tall, pale blonde man strode into the room and headed straight for the bar. She could hear his heavy German accent as he ordered. As the minutes trickled by, several more well-dressed men entered the luxurious room set aside for this particular game. A fat, squat businessman in a three-piece suit. Another man who was clearly a professional poker player sporting a huge ruby ring on the index finger of his left hand. Another man, tall and handsome with luminous ebony skin clad in a tuxedo, came in and took a seat at the table. One by one, the seats filled. The men were all quiet, most likely contemplating the game ahead of them and taking in their opponents.

When there was only one chair left unfilled, the velvet curtain parted again and another man entered.

Caroline's pulse sped up. The man was lean and impeccably dressed in what looked like a custom made tuxedo. He had dark blonde hair and his eyes were the most piercing shade of blue she'd ever seen. His jawline was strong, handsome, his lips borderline cruel in their sensuality. Everything about him screamed opulence.

And everything about his demeanor said he didn't give a damn about anyone or anything.

Caroline shivered a little as a chill bristled down her spine. She couldn't remember ever having quite this reaction to the sight of a man before. Sure she'd moved with her ex to Las Vegas, but she hadn't done that because her heart had fluttered whenever Trevor had entered a room.

This man's expression, so icy and distant, grew even chillier as his eyes landed on her. She quickly glanced away, chastising herself for openly staring. Great. Now he probably thought she was one of those dense women who worked in a casino in order to snag a rich husband. Caroline had had more than one asshole sit down at her table and assume she was looking for a good time, but she'd learned to quickly set the record straight whenever any of them got it in their heads that she was up for sale along with the poker chips.

A touch on her arm startled her from her errant thoughts, and she jumped, her heart slamming into her ribs. With his fingers wrapped around her upper arm, John pulled her away from the table. Once he freed her Caroline quickly folded her arms over her breasts, hating the way John's eyes trailed down her shirt, and despising that he knew it bothered her by the way he grinned lecherously at her.

"Just want to make sure you aren't getting any ideas of being noble, Caroline." he said, leaning in close and running a hand down her arm. "The man with the blue tie is Dallas. When it's time, pass the play to him. He'll take care of the rest."

"Yes, boss," she said, keeping her voice low in an attempt to hide her revulsion.

With a nod, Caroline returned to the table and took out her deck of cards. After announcing the rules of the game (something all croupiers had to do even though everyone sitting at this table was well acquainted with the game), she shuffled. Then she passed the deck off to the player on her right, who also shuffled. After a series of shuffles and cutting the deck, Caroline finally dealt the cards.

The man with the piercing blue eyes was seated directly across from her. He picked up his cards. There wasn't the slightest flash of emotion, no indication whatsoever if he was pleased or irritated, before he set them back down. During her time in Vegas, she'd seen her fair share of card sharks and amateurs. Her time in Vegas plus her natural aptitude for perception meant that she was always able to tell what a player thought of his hand by the telltale little signs she'd observed at countless tables.

But this man was totally unreadable.

That was, up until he looked up and caught her gaze. His striking eyes bored into hers, and her pulse skittered wildly. For the first time tonight, she was glad she wasn't wearing the high collar of her usual uniform. Because she'd have been sweating profusely beneath this man's gaze if she had been. There was an awful lot of money on the line here but his mind didn't seem to be on the cards lying in front of him. Slowly, his gaze slid over her, lingering on her breasts, before sliding back up. His perusal of her didn't repulse her the way John's had. If anything, her skin tingled with awareness and heat.

Caroline quickly dropped her eyes to the green velvet of the table. She had to focus on what John had demanded she do. She couldn't afford to be distracted by this man.

Niklaus Mikaelson thumbed the cards he held lightly and waited quietly for someone to call. It'd been a while since he had spent time at a card table but he'd found himself in Vegas – having drawn the shortest stick and sent to bring his brother Kol back from yet another weekend bender – and figured why not.

Life for most people was completely monotonous but Klaus lived for the type of thrills that came with gambling. Not just gambling with cards, he had mastered that a long time ago. Cards weren't a challenge at all, not anymore. It had been a while since Klaus had enjoyed a game, but he'd never lost his sharp ability to read the people around him. And he never would. Reading people was essentially second nature to him. Growing up, he'd needed to be able to tell what someone—namely his father—was about to do based on the little things. The slight twitch of a muscle, the quick tick of an eyelid or the jerk of the lips. Back then it had been a survival skill.

That it was also a skill which translated to the card table was something he'd found out much later in life.

But these days he favored the high stakes of stock trading, the rush when he made a killer deal and the immense satisfaction of getting to do it all over again just a short while later. The winnings were much greater, the thrill much more intense. And the ability to read people, still very essential, was used to determine the behavior of the pack.

Klaus glanced up at the stunning dealer again and arched an eyebrow when she glanced away nervously. The moment he'd entered the room and saw her standing there, in her small top and even smaller skirt, he'd gotten the feeling the evening would be far more interesting than he'd originally anticipated.

He'd watched with concealed interest when the man who appeared to be in charge had taken her away for a word. Her body language was stiffly defensive and her face closed off, though he'd thought he'd seen a flicker of unease in the way she'd swept her bouncing blonde curls off her shoulder. When the man leaned in and ran a hand down her arm, Klaus had to stifle the inexplicable urge to leap across the table and punch him in the face.

As the hand finished and the beautiful dealer called the first break in play, the men got up from the table and filtered to various corners of the lavish room. A few whipped out cell phones while others chatted quietly to each other.

Klaus didn't move. He stretched out his legs beneath the table and took a slow sip of his drink. He only drank water with a twist of lime while he was playing. Unlike a few other players at the table, Klaus didn't drink alcohol when he needed his senses to be sharp.

The dealer straightened the chips with short, quick movements and Klaus found himself watching her. He was mesmerized by the elegance of her nimble hands, the way she seemed to caress the chips before letting them go. He found himself imagining those hands on his body and was instantly glad he'd decided to remain seated where his arousal could stay safely out of sight.

A waiter came to a stop at the table, round tray held in one hand, a white towel thrown over his arm. "Could I offer you something from the bar, sir?"

"No, thanks," Klaus said with a shake of his head. "How about you?" he asked, staring at the dealer.

The girl peeked up then, her eyes round and wide. She truly was extraordinary, from the silky blonde hair cascading over her shoulders to the high round breasts beneath her obscenely suggestive shirt to the longest damn legs he'd ever seen. What would those legs feel like wrapped around him later tonight?

"N-no, thanks," she said. Her voice was throaty yet lilting—and surprisingly shy, he thought. She'd had no such problems when she was calling the play or rapping out the rules to players. It intrigued him, fired his blood in a way Klaus hadn't experienced in a long time - if ever.

"I don't bite," he cajoled lightly.

She glanced down again, then back up, her gaze fixing resolutely on him. A little tiger, this one. "Whether you do or not isn't the issue, _sir_. I'm not allowed to accept drinks from the guests while on duty."

"Then perhaps when you are off duty."

He didn't think she was aware that she was biting her full lower lip. The action made him want to take a bite of that plump, coral lip as well.

"I don't think so."

"But you'll be off duty then," Klaus pressed.

"I don't know you," she replied. "But I'm pretty sure, by your presence at this table, that we don't have anything in common—"

Klaus cut her off, smirking. "How can you say that? I play cards, you deal cards. Much in common, I would think."

Her lovely throat worked as she swallowed, drawing attention to her long, elegant neck. When she spoke again, there was frost in her voice. "That wasn't what I was talking about and you know it. Unlike the money on this table, I'm not up for grabs."

Klaus laughed. She had spirit, this woman. He liked that. He held out his hand. "Klaus Mikaleson."

He wasn't sure she would accept, but she shook his hand quickly before snatching hers back. His palm tingled where they'd touched.

"Caroline Forbes."

"Lovely name. It's nice to meet you, Caroline Forbes. _Very _nice."

She didn't respond but a red flush crept up the creamy skin of her neck. She was blushing and he couldn't help but smirk at the knowledge. Before he could say anything else, the players filtered back to the table, taking their seats and tucking away phones.

Once they were settled, Caroline dealt a new hand. Klaus loved the way her slender fingers moved, loved the way she seemed so in control and calm when overseeing the game. It completely contrasted with the sharpness of her tongue and that shy vulnerability she'd momentarily displayed when he'd been flirting with her. She was an enigma, this woman, and one he intended to explore in much greater detail later tonight.

There was no doubt in his mind that she would succumb to his charm. Women always did.

That was part of the beauty of being a Mikaelson, even if he detested the name and the man who'd given it to him. Klaus knew how to be charming when the situation required it, and how to be utterly cool and levelheaded at all times. Nothing ever fazed him.

The play moved quickly, the pot piling up in the center with each hand as the game grew more intense and the men at the table grew bolder. The short businessman drummed his fingers on the table almost silently. It was an edgy habit, and one Klaus translated to mean he had good cards but not good enough. All the better, then.

At that moment, the German man's upper lip ticked up, oh so briefly, in the barest hint of a smile as he looked down at his hand again. Klaus felt a rush of contempt for the man. He was so almost too easy to read, so arrogant and sure.

"One hundred thousand dollars," he proclaimed, his accent thick with excitement.

The other men at the table folded, a collective groan rippling over them. The businessman hesitated a moment longer than the rest, but he, too, threw his cards down.

With a straight face, Klaus tossed in his chips. "I'll see that and raise you another hundred."

The man's eyes narrowed, but he hardly hesitated before flinging the chips into the center. "Call."

A wave of pure adrenaline flooded his veins. Klaus loved this particular moment, loved when he unfolded the cards and revealed the winning hand. It was a rush like nothing else, a surge of feeling that buoyed him and took away the anger and pain of his past, however briefly.

There was absolutely no way he could lose. Unlike the other man, Klaus wasn't swayed by arrogance. The man's hand simply wasn't good enough, which he would have known if he'd been paying attention to the play.

Klaus glanced quickly up at Caroline, caught the knowing smile on her face and wondered how and when she'd figured it out. Perhaps there was a mathematical mind behind all that beauty, after all.

Klaus laid his cards down on the table. His opponent visibly deflated. Caroline's eyes sparkled.

"A straight flush," she said with a small smile as she gestured to Klaus. "The gentleman wins."

The game continued on and Caroline kept the cards moving, and kept the men at the table. The squat businessman decided he'd had enough and left, and the one she had guessed was a professional player bowed out soon after that but the rest of the men didn't seem eager to go anywhere. Dallas, John's ringer in the blue tie, chewed on a cocktail straw, the corners of his mouth tipping into a smarmy grin whenever she made eye contact.

The jackpot was climbing to enormous sums, something Caroline had never witnessed working at the open public tables. She'd never imagined so much money being up for grabs in one game. Each hand made the players bolder, the wagers more ludicrous. Klaus tossed chips into the pot like they were nothing more than child's marbles, the motion careless and unconcerned. But he had a nice pile of chips built up beside him so she guessed he could afford to be so blasé. She hadn't figured out what his angle was, but he was very good with the cards.

She'd known a few professional card sharks since moving to Vegas and getting this job, but could a man throwing around this much money like it was couch change really be nothing more than a professional gambler? The thought made her more than a little sick, and yet she knew it was possible. It was possible he was wagering for a boss, playing for the profit he would make when he won. She'd seen that done before. It seemed like quite a risk for anyone to take in bankrolling this man given how fast and loose he was playing with those chips, but since he was good enough, she supposed the prospect of rewards outweighed the risk.

For a while there, she'd thought he was counting cards. But he wasn't. He was just that smart at figuring out which cards were left. He folded when his hand wasn't good enough, although he'd also managed to bluff his way into the win a few times. He just didn't seem to care, which meant he had one hell of a tolerance for risk. If she had that much money riding on a few cards, Caroline would likely have a panic attack.

Klaus caught her eye and winked. Liquid heat flowed through her even while she reprimanded herself for reacting to him. Caroline had somewhat of an inner magnet that attracted her to men who were no good for her. Trevor had cheated on her. The boyfriend after that had taken off with all her rent money. After that eye opening experience, she swore never again to get fooled by a pretty face and a charming smile.

Klaus Mikaelson had both of those things in spades—as well as an extra dose of magnetism she was struggling to fight. But he was also the kind of man who wandered from casino to casino, playing cards, living off his winnings, sleeping with the type of women who frequented casinos looking for rich men to be their sugar daddies. Someone cleared his throat, and she realized the hand had ended.

"Gentlemen, let's take a twenty minute break," she said, her skin heating up with embarrassment at getting caught daydreaming.

She moved swiftly away from the table, intending to slip into the back for a while and breathe without Klaus and his mischievous eyes and his half smirk affecting her senses.

"Want company?"

Caroline came to a halt as he stepped into view. Good god, he was an incredibly attractive man.

"Guests aren't allowed in the staff areas," she told him, trying and failing at sounding strict.

"Then don't go into the staff area," he shot back, the corners of his mouth tilting up in a heart-stopping grin.

What would his lips feel like on hers? Would that mouth be as hard and demanding as she thought? Or would it be tender, thorough and utterly addictive? Her vote went for utterly addictive no matter what.

Not only that, but she could definitely listen to him talk for hours. There was something about a British accent that turned her into mush. It sounded so entrancing, as if every British person lived a life of glamor and knew exactly what to do in every social situation. Next to him, she felt almost small and insignificant. Unpolished.

Caroline pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, willing away the heat this man inspired between her legs. "You really shouldn't be talking to me, Mr. Mikaelson. I have a job to do, and you're a guest."

"But I like talking to you, Caroline."

"Only because you think you can score," she said, striving to instill her tone with acid.

It must not have worked because his smile didn't waver.

"Ah, so now we come to the truth." He set his glass of water aside, shaking his head subtly at the waiter who was hovering nearby. The waiter disappeared. "Call me Klaus."

"I'd really rather not." Oh, but she would. Repeatedly. She imagined saying his name while their bodies were sweaty and entwined. The room would be dark, the atmosphere scorching. Caroline closed her eyes as a bead of sweat dripped down between her breasts.

Why was she suddenly thinking these erotic things? She never did this, never wanted a man she'd only just met and knew next to nothing about. Never wanted to sink into a hot, dark, secluded bed with him.

"Oh, but I think you would," he replied with an arched eyebrow, his voice a deep, sensual purr. "I can tell you feel this thing between us, too. You want to know more."

Caroline swallowed. "Well, you're sorely mistaken, _Klaus_. All I want is to finish this game, go home and get out of this outfit …" Her words trailed off as the look on his face grew more intense, his eyes clouding with lust.

"We're in agreement there. I also want to get you out of that delightful little outfit."

Her heart was pounding in her chest, making her a little dizzy. "Well, at least you're honest."

"But you aren't." His slow smile mocked her.

"Fine, I'll admit I find you attractive," she shot back, heat enveloping her. She wasn't sure if her body was flushing out of embarrassment or out of being in such close proximity to this man. "But I don't know you, and I'm not in the habit of going home with men I don't know."

That was the honest truth, but Caroline was beginning to wonder if she shouldn't let her hair down a little bit. Given the night she'd been having, not to mention what she still had to do for John, maybe a night with Klaus could relieve the tension beneath her skin.

Assuming he didn't figure out that she was the one responsible for him losing at the end of the night.

"Then perhaps we should get to know each other," Klaus said, tucking his hands behind his back to keep from reaching for her.

"Perhaps," Caroline said, shocking herself in the process. Was she really going to consider this? Or was she letting the flattery of a man like him flirting with her go to her head? Or maybe she just didn't know what to say, so she said the first thing that popped into her mind.

Either way, she wasn't leaving here with Klaus.

He took a slow step toward her, his lean body radiating heat and sexuality. Part of her wanted to melt against him, wanted to let the alluring man rescue her. Except that's not what Caroline Forbes did. She took care of herself, and she didn't need rescuing. Not ever. And she certainly didn't need a man like him in her life.

"I look forward to it," he replied silkily, his blue eyes darkening as his gaze slipped down her body. It was a blatantly carnal look—and she loved it.

What she didn't know was why. "We should get back to the table," she said quickly, sidestepping him before he could touch her. Because if he touched her, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to go through with what she needed to do.

She caught John's gaze as she made her way back to the table. He shot her a knowing look as his face formed into a cruel sneer. If she didn't do his bidding, there was no telling what he'd do to her. Money would be the least of her worries.

If it weren't for Caroline, Klaus would have gotten bored a long time ago. The cards were too simple, too trivial. If he lost, he'd only make it back on the stock market. But he wouldn't lose. He never lost. People assumed he had the good luck gene in spades, but the truth of the matter was he'd learned to rely on his skill with probability and numbers because he had to. Once his father had died, the duty had fallen on Klaus and his older brother Elijah to support the Mikaelson family and he'd learn to make the best of his skills.

Fifteen million dollars in casino chips were piled in the middle of the table. The man to his right was sweating profusely and the too arrogant man at the end of the table had a permanent frown on his face. Even Caroline looked pensive. She was biting her lower lip again, that luscious lip he wanted to suck between his own. Her fingers, which had been so certain and sure as she did her job throughout the night, were now trembling. One of the men at the table, an insignificant man Klaus had paid no mind to throughout the game with a blue tie he'd recently loosened, seemed to glare at her as if he were trying to somehow impart a telepathic message.

She looked up then, directly at Klaus, and something in his gut clenched. She seemed tentative. Her openly expressive eyes were wide and her creamy skin, which had been flushed red earlier when they were talking, appeared to have lost a shade of color, making her seem almost pale and fragile.

"Sir?" she said.

It took him a moment to realize she was talking to him. And that it was his turn.

"Call," he replied, tossing his chips into the pile. Because he was simply tired of sitting here, because he wanted to get out of the dark, sticky atmosphere of this room and back into the fresh air. Because he wanted to talk Caroline Forbes into getting into his car and going for a drive along the strip. He still had a few days to kill before dragging Kol back to London in time for Elijah's wedding.

Spending those days in bed with a vibrant woman like Caroline seemed a perfect plan.

The slick man in the blue tie, the only player who hadn't folded this round, laid his cards on the table with a self-assured sneer. "A full house, Mr. Mikaelson," he said. "Queens and jacks."

Klaus only sighed, refraining from rolling his eyes. "That's excellent." And then he flipped his cards over one by one.

Nine. Nine. Nine.

The man's brow glistened with sweat, his fingers strumming lightly on the table, itching to reach for the pot.

Klaus flipped over another card to reveal the two of hearts and the man sucked in his breath triumphantly, his fingers reaching greedily for the pile of chips in the center.

"Not quite," Klaus said as he turned over the last card. The man's jaw dropped comically.

Caroline looked at the last card and smiled but the corners of her mouth wavered just a little as she did so. "Four of a kind. The gentleman wins."

Klaus stood. He didn't feel any sense of satisfaction or triumph. He simply felt _done_.

"If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I believe I'm going to cash out."

The quivering of her smile had been barely noticeable but Caroline's fingers were definitely trembling as she gathered the cards.

The man Klaus had come to refer to as Blue Tie glared at her furiously before turning to look over his shoulder. A prickle of awareness shot through Klaus. He cursed himself for not realizing what was going on when the owner of the casino had pulled Caroline aside before the game started and when Blue Tie silently coasted through the entire game like he already knew what the outcome was. This wasn't good, but it was too late to change the outcome. And he gladly would have sacrificed the money to keep that terrified look off of Caroline's face right now.

And to confirm what Klaus had already suspected, the owner walked over to a door off to the side and gestured to someone. He stopped to talk with one of the bouncers and a few moments later, the man made his way toward the table. The other players were getting up to stretch their legs, but Klaus didn't miss the look of terror on Caroline's face when the man stopped next to her and leaned down to whisper something in her ear.

Beefy fingers spanned Caroline's upper arm as she turned and walked toward the back of the room with him. Another dealer entered the room —a bottle blonde with fake breasts and a spray tan—and took out a fresh deck.

Before the bouncer could disappear with Caroline, Klaus was up and out of his seat. He rushed forward to intercept the two.

"Disappearing so soon Caroline?" Klaus asked, locking eyes with her.

Before she could respond, the owner appeared at Klaus' side.

"She's completed her shift. Please, sit down and continue the game. I'll be spotting everyone at the table an additional fifty thousand. On the house."

Klaus just threw the man a derisive look. "I think I've had my fill for the night. But I do believe Caroline here promised to escort me around the town when her shift was over." Again he turned to lock eyes with Caroline, mentally urging her to go along with it.

"Uh, yes. I told Mr. Mikaelson I would show him a few things along the strip." Caroline nodded wildly, clinging desperately to the hope that he might actually be able to get her out of this situation.

She had meant to go through with John's plan, she really had, but when she'd seen Klaus sitting there across from her she just couldn't do it. And she'd been about to resign herself to her fate when he jumped in.

Klaus looked from the bouncer who still had a grip on Caroline over to the owner of the casino. The man was clearly weighing his options here. He couldn't very well deny one of his wealthiest patrons his request.

After a few seconds of silence, John shook his head. "Of course, go ahead you two. We'll be seeing you here tomorrow night, right Caroline?" He shot her a piercing look and Caroline nodded her head quickly.

The bouncer freed her arm and Caroline instinctively ran in Klaus'. The fear was still coursing through her veins as he led her away. She might have gotten away tonight but even if she didn't show up for work tomorrow, John would come to find her. And when he did, Klaus might not be there to stop him.

* * *

**I'm aware this seems unfinished. That's because it is unfinished. I do sequels to some of my drabbles (i.e. the prisoner drabble) and I'll get around to finishing this one eventually. **


	27. The One Where He Sees Her

**The One Where He Sees Her**

"Elijah, he's not okay."

Sliding his coat from his shoulders, Elijah turned to face his sister. They stood in the hallway of Klaus' home, Elijah with a grave look on his face and Rebekah visibly concerned.

He coughed to clear his throat. "That is to be expected."

Rebekah just shook her head. "No. Not like this. He **isn't **okay."

It had been a tense two weeks since the incident that everyone feared to speak of out loud. Caroline's death. The first few days no one had seen or heard from Klaus. He simply disappeared, only to show up a few days later as if nothing had changed. Rebekah had been relieved at first to find her brother back to his normal (or what constituted normal for Klaus) behavior. Maybe whatever he had shared with Caroline had been nothing more than an infatuation and the old Nik had returned. Maybe he was okay.

And then she saw it. She'd been strolling down the hall when she heard Nik's voice waft out from the room he used as his studio. Tiptoeing up to the door, she had peeked in to watch him. At first he seemed perfectly normal, in the midst of an oil painting on a massive canvas. It took Rebekah a moment to realize he was painting Caroline. From her spot by the door, she could make out the soft contours of her body and the wavy curls of her hair as Klaus ran the brush across the canvas. Wanting to leave her brother in peace, Rebekah began to walk away when she heard it again. Nik talking. Except, no one was in the room with him. No one Rebekah could see anyway.

"Love, stop moving. I'm almost done." Klaus said in a chastising voice.

He looked up from the painting and over at the sofa across from where he stood. Caroline giggled softly, throwing her head back, and Klaus couldn't stop the grin that spread across his face at the soft, tinkling sound.

"You know I hate staying still this long." Caroline replied with a roll of her eyes.

"Well how else am I supposed to paint you, hmm?" Klaus asked with a raised eyebrow.

She shot him a saucy look, the corner of her lips tilting up in a coy smirk. "From memory of course. You know my body by heart." Caroline moved to lean further back on the arm of the sofa, her hair tumbling down and swaying in the air behind her.

Klaus watched her with a hungry look in his eyes. "Careful sweetheart. Keep talking like that and I'll have to come over there and remind myself just how well I know your body."

She let out another sultry laugh, her shoulders shaking lightly. They both knew he wouldn't keep that promise. He **couldn't**. No matter how badly Klaus wanted to stroll over there and bury himself in Caroline, he couldn't.

"Are you almost done?" She whined again, her glittering eyes fixed on him.

"Almost, love." Klaus said, throwing her an affectionate smile over the easel. "Almost."

Rebekah held back a gasp, a slight layer of tears clouding her eyes. She turned on her heel and walked off, as quickly and quietly as she could. That had been a few days ago and Rebekah had quickly realized it wasn't a onetime occasion. She caught him again in the garden outside. Caroline's garden. Klaus had always hated that garden but he had humored Caroline in letting her plant to her heart's content. Rebekah watched from a distance as he sat on the bench there, a book in hand as he watched Caroline garden.

"I don't understand why you bother with this stuff love." Klaus tapped his paperback book against his knee as he watched Caroline kneel in front of a patch of tulips.

She laughed a little, patting the soil. "It's relaxing."

"It's filthy." Klaus snorted.

She laughed again, the tinkling sound warming Klaus' entire body. "Well why do you paint? That can get messy."

"It's a controlled messy." Klaus shot back, his book long forgotten and his eyes still glued to Caroline as she worked.

"Well, this is a controlled messy too." Caroline replied. "And it's beautiful."

"You're beautiful." Klaus said in a soft, low voice.

She looked up from her flowers and turned to grin widely at him, her pearly white teeth sparkling in the sun. All of Caroline tended to glow in the sun. Her already bright hair got seemingly brighter. Her skin radiated even with soil caked under her nails and smudged across her cheek. His eyes grazed quickly over the finger where her daylight ring used to be. It was bare now. She didn't need it anymore. The only jewelry that adorned her delicate hand was her red emerald wedding ring. The large stone was set in silver with smaller diamonds surrounding it. Caroline had been crying when he first slid it onto her finger and had promised to never remove it. She kept the promise, even compelling airport security when they travelled so that she wouldn't have to take it off.

"If you hate gardening so much, why are you out here with me?" Caroline teased, her hair dancing in the wind.

"You're here. Where else would I be?"

That had been when Rebekah had finally decided to call Elijah back into town. She couldn't watch this unfold any longer. It felt like layers of her heart were being painfully stripped away.

"He isn't okay, Elijah." Rebekah repeated herself, this time a whisper.

The two made their way over to the living room where the sound of Klaus and his hybrids talking drifted out into the hallway.

"Make sure the liquor supply is endless. It's going to be open bar." Klaus was saying, dictating orders in the way that came so naturally to him.

One of the hybrids cleared his throat, looking between his peers before working up the nerve to finally point out what they were all thinking. "Maybe we should cancel the party."

Klaus turned slowly to face the hybrid who'd spoken, his face stoic. In a flash, Klaus had sped forward and before anyone could blink, the hybrid's head was across the room and his body had crumpled to the floor in front of Klaus, blood spraying everywhere.

"Anyone else have any brilliant suggestions they'd like to share?" Klaus growled out, turning in a slow circle to face all of his hybrids. "No? Moving forward then." His demeanor switched from terrifyingly ferocious to inexplicably cheerful in under a second and the tension in the room skyrocketed.

"Make sure the flower vases have white lilies and white orchids. Those are her favorite." Klaus carried on, calming wiping the blood from his hands as he spoke.

Still in the hallway, Elijah turned to Rebekah. "What is he doing?"

"Planning her birthday party for tomorrow night."

Klaus had been working on this party for over a month already. It was going to be a surprise party. Caroline loved surprises.

"A birthday party?" Elijah asked incredulously and Rebekah just nodded solemnly.

It was then that Elijah registered what Klaus had said just a moment ago. 'Are' – not 'was'.

"You mean to tell me…"Elijah trailed off, not willing to acknowledge the insanity out loud.

"He thinks she's still alive. He talks to her all the time."

Elijah scowled, looking into the living room at his brother and then back toward his sister. "You didn't think to mention this on the phone?"

She arched an eyebrow and threw him a look. "Would you have believed me?"

Elijah swallowed, running a hand through his perfectly placed hair. "It's only been two weeks. Maybe it'll pass."

"And if it doesn't?" Rebekah asked, waving her arms in front of her.

He didn't get a chance to respond when the doorbell rang. Rebekah stared at Elijah for a moment longer before rolling her eyes and spinning on her heel to stalk back over to the front door. She flung it open and groaned at the sight that greeted her.

"Salvatores. Elena. How can I help you today?" Rebekah asked, sarcastically cheerful.

Elena let out a deep sigh, looking from one Salvatore to the other before facing Rebekah again. "We need Caroline's body. For the funeral."

Two weeks ago when _**it **_had happened, Klaus had carefully placed Caroline's body in a coffin before sealing it away in one of his private rooms. Rebekah wouldn't have been able to get to it, even if she wanted to. And she certainly didn't want to.

"Looks like it'll be a closed coffin event. Bye now." Rebekah moved to close the door but Damon's hand shot out, keeping it open.

"Listen Blondie. We've given you guys two weeks as a courtesy. The funeral's tomorrow and we need the body."

Elijah appeared behind Rebekah, staring the three intruders down.

"I'm afraid that isn't going to happen." He said sternly, looking from each brother and then to Elena.

"See, we're not taking no for an answer." Stefan shot back.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and clenched her jaw. "You could not have chosen a worse day to do this." She said, recalling how Klaus had hastily cut that hybrid's head from his body in one fatal swoop. She could only imagine what he'd do if he found the Salvatores and Elena on his front porch. Rebekah was doing them a favor by sending them away before Klaus saw them.

But then again, with Caroline gone, what did any of them owe her old gang of friends? What was to stop Klaus from tearing them all limb from limb?

"Leave now and we can take your request into consideration at a later date." Elijah said, always the diplomatic one. Rebekah would have been content to make an example of one of them and send the other two packing.

Before anyone could say anything else, Klaus appeared behind his siblings.

"Ah, Elena, Damon, Stefan. I'll see you at the party tomorrow night I presume?" Klaus walked as he spoke, heading toward the stairs.

Elena and the Salvatore brothers shot each other confused looks and by the time they looked up again, Klaus had disappeared from view.

Not giving them the chance to comment on what had just happened, Rebekah spoke as she shut the door in their faces, "Goodbye."

Klaus sat on the bed as he watched Caroline twirl in front of the mirror, the skirt of her dress flying up and dancing around her slender thighs. She was trying to pick a dress to wear to dinner tomorrow night (Klaus had told her he'd be taking her out to dinner on her birthday to throw her off the scent of the surprise party). She twirled once more before peeling the dress off and reaching for another one. Klaus wasn't much help in deciding – he thought she looked spectacular, and downright edible, in all of them.

"Your friends stopped by." Klaus said, bestowing an affectionate smile on Caroline as she slid on yet another dress. Unlike most other men when it came to their significant others, Klaus loved watching Caroline try on clothes. He loved her even more out of her clothes but he certainly appreciated the private modeling show. "The Salvatore brothers are still lapping at Elena's heels."

Caroline shook her head and let out that tinkling laugh that never failed to warm Klaus' blood, her hair sliding temptingly across her bare shoulders. "Be nice."

Klaus scoffed. "I'm always nice."

"You're never nice." Caroline teased with a grin, sauntering over to straddle his lap.

"I'm nice to you." Klaus rebutted, wrapping one arm around her waist and sliding a hand up her smooth thigh.

"That's because you love me." She smiled, brushing her nose against his.

Klaus leaned in to catch her enticing lips beneath his but Caroline just giggled as she shot off his lap. She did that a lot lately. Pulled away whenever he got too close. But it was fine, Klaus would allow her to play her little games with him. She was the _**only **_person he'd allow to play games with him.

Rebekah could tell by the intent look on his face that Elijah was straining his ears to hear the conversation Klaus was having upstairs. The excruciatingly one-sided conversation. Rebekah never listened in anymore. It was more than she could handle. To see the brother she always thought so invincible so unbelievably broken. Cluelessly, agonizingly broken.

"What do we do?" Rebekah asked, looking to her older brother for a solution. Elijah always had a solution. He always had a plan.

But now, he just sighed. "We prepare for a party." He muttered beneath his breath, walking off.

She thought he must be joking but the next night, Rebekah stood in a dress and looked around the room. All of Klaus' hybrids were present as well as a few people who had been too afraid _**not **_to show up in the event that Klaus came looking for them to question why.

"This is morbid." Rebekah said, crossing her arms over her chest as she turned to face Elijah.

Her brother threw her a solemn look. "If this is how Niklaus chooses to grieve –"

"This isn't grieving!" Rebekah cut him off, waving her arm out to gesture to the room all set up for a birthday party honoring a dead girl. "This is insanity."

"It's denial." Elijah said, his voice stern. "It's the first stage of grieving. And perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to push him out of it. I'm sure you recall what comes next in the five stages." Elijah rose an eyebrow, fixing her with a look.

"Anger." Rebekah whispered beneath her breath. If his denial was this extreme, there was no imagining what his anger would be.

There was another moment of shared silence before Rebekah fought the urge to literally tear her hair from her scalp. Everyone was standing around in uncomfortable silence and Klaus was nowhere to be found.

"Well, where is he?" Rebekah asked Elijah.

Upstairs, Klaus waited for Caroline to settle on a dress.

"Zip me up?" She looked over her shoulder to ask him.

Standing from the bed, Klaus moved over to her and took the tiny zipper between his fingers. He pulled the shiny metal up, his knuckles grazing her spine as he went. When he reached the top, he shifted her blonde curls over one shoulder and bent his head to trail light kisses along her neck. He got away with doing this for just a moment before Caroline shifted out of his arms.

"I think this is the one." She said, spinning for him to show off her dress.

The dress was floor length and simple yet elegant. It was a pure white that made her already radiant skin seem positively luminescent. The tips of her pink painted toes peeked out from under the dress.

"It's beautiful." Klaus whispered, bringing a hand up to cup her cheek.

She smiled at him but it was a sad smile. Her eyes left his face to stare down at the floor.

"You know I love you, right?" She whispered softly, stepping closer to him so their chests brushed each other.

"Of course." Klaus replied with a grin. There had been a time when he hadn't known it. Or maybe just hadn't believed it. Because there was no way someone so perfect could love him. But over time Caroline had shown him. Had forced him to see it and accept it. She did love him. Almost as much as he loved her. _**Almost**_.

"And you know I'd do anything to be with you forever, right?" Caroline finally glanced up from the floor, a lone tear running down her cheek.

"Of course, sweetheart." Klaus said softly, using his thumb to wipe the tear from her cheek. His heart clenched at the tears welling in her eyes.

"And you know I'm not real, right?" She whispered, her tear clouded eyes still locked on his.

Klaus shook his head. "Of course you're real." He said sternly. It didn't matter if no one else realized she was there. That just meant he had Caroline all to himself, all the time. He didn't care what anyone thought and it didn't fucking matter that no one else could see her. He saw her.

"Stop crying." Klaus said, cupping her face in both his palms and brushing away her tears as they fell. "Come on, we have to get you to your party." He grasped her hand in his and made to walk out the room but Caroline tugged him back, not budging from her spot.

"Nik, no." She said sternly as he turned to face her again. Caroline tugged him closer until they were chest to chest again. She wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest for a moment before tilting her head back to look up at him. "It's time."

Klaus looked down at her, his eyes perusing her perfect form. Her wavy curls, her elegant white dress, her bare feet with those girlish pink tips peeking out from beneath the silky fabric. She wasn't dressed to go to her party – she was dressed to leave him. She was dressed to go to whatever magical place it was that people with a heart as big as hers went.

"Caroline, no." He said sternly, clinging to her. "We still have so much of the world to see. Remember, sweetheart. Rome, Paris, Toyko. Remember?" He shook her a little as he clung desperately to her.

Caroline traced a finger over his heart, looking up at him with that same sad smile. "It's my birthday."

"Yes, it is." Klaus replied, burying his face in her hair and breathing in her scent. "Come love, let's just forget this conversation and go to your party." He so desperately wanted to do just that.

But Caroline didn't budge and he didn't move either, except to tilt his head back to catch her eye again. "Remember my first birthday as a vampire? You told me there was a whole world out there for me. You saved me."

Klaus pulled her impossibly closer, determined that she wouldn't leave him.

"You can't save me this time."

"That's not true." Klaus growled, the grip he had on her now would have crushed her bones if she hadn't already been…Klaus refused to think the word.

"It's already too late." Caroline said, the tears streaming freely down her face again.

"No it isn't." He practically yelled, his eyes wild and erratic now. "Just stay with me Caroline and I can save you like I always have – like I always _**will**_. Just stay with me and I'll figure something out. Just stay with me. Stay with me, Caroline." Klaus could feel the moisture on his face but didn't quite comprehend that he was crying.

Caroline raised a hand to his face and Klaus instinctively leaned into her touch. "You'll be okay." She whispered to him, stroking his cheek and giving him that same sad smile. "I promise, you'll be okay."

"No, Caroline." He yelled.

Klaus looked around the room but for the first time in the last two weeks – she wasn't there.


	28. The Artist and The Graduate

**The Artist and The Graduate**

"You can do this. You are smart. You are talented. You are ready."

Caroline Forbes whispered beneath her breath as she stood in front of the glass doors that led into NASH. The downtown L.A. gallery was run by the elusive artist Niklaus Mikaleson and was very low on the list of galleries Caroline had applied to work at. As a principle, she had stringently tried to avoid applying to any galleries run by artists. They tended to thrive in chaos whereas Caroline lived for organization. Not to mention they could be hot-headed and temperamental, two traits Caroline had no patience for. But it had been six months since graduation and she was still unemployed so clearly she couldn't afford to be picky.

Straightening her shoulders and taking in a deep breath, Caroline opened the door and walked into the gallery. Her heels clacked on the marble floor and she felt goosebumps rise on her skin in the heavily air conditioned space. Her eyes had barely scanned the large gallery before a woman with a clipboard appeared in front of her.

"You must be Caroline Forbes. Here for the 2:00 interview. Just give me a moment. The owner will be right with you." The woman said quickly before pulling a phone from her pocket and stepping away from Caroline.

"Caroline Forbes is here for the interview." The woman said into the phone and a second later she flipped it closed and slid it back into her pocket.

"He'll just be a minute." The woman said and Caroline just nodded her eyes, going back to scanning the gallery.

The walls were pure white and the maze of curved walls held various paintings. White blocks scattered throughout the large space held sculptures of different sizes. Caroline glanced up to see a balcony that wrapped around the second floor of the gallery with a set of double doors leading into what she assumed was the artist's office or workshop.

A minute later, a man strode out of those double doors and came to stand at the edge of the balcony. He looked Caroline up and down quickly before speaking.

His voice rang clearly down from the balcony. "No."

Caroline's jaw dropped and the man was already turning to go back into his room when she finally called out.

"Excuse me?"

Klaus smirked at the incredulous tone as he faced the doors to his workshop. So the girl in the stiff skirt suit and the thin briefcase had a bit of bite to her beneath that cool business exterior. Interesting. He spun on his heel and braced his hands on the balcony, looking down at her again.

"Where'd you graduate from?"

"Berkeley." Caroline responded quickly, her arms clasped tightly on her briefcase in front of her.

"Major?"

"Art history."

"Favorite artist?" Klaus asked, still eyeing her contemplatively.

"Rembrandt." Caroline shot back with confidence.

"Favorite century?"

"17th."

Klaus didn't hesitate before speaking again. "No." With that he spun on his heel and rushed back into his office. He was tempted to explore the sweet blonde bleeding innocence all over his gallery floors but he was fooling around with a new medium with clay and it may have been in the oven too long already.

Back on the first floor, Caroline was stewing.

"I apologize, he has a one track mind when he's working. Wait here. I'll get him." The woman said, flushing with embarrassment at her boss' behavior.

"Don't bother." Caroline snapped, storming out of the gallery.

As she stomped down the street, Caroline made a mental note to cross all the other artist run galleries off her list. This was precisely why she'd avoided them to begin with. Egotistical, insolent asshole. She'd just made it to her beat up old Camry when a voice behind her made her freeze.

"Caroline was it?"

Her jaw locked and she spun slowly to face the egotistical, insolent asshole who could apparently barely remember her name after humiliating her.

"What do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and fixing him with her best glare.

Klaus watched her eyes narrow and just shot her a slow half smirk. Stepping closer to her, he came to a stop within arm's reach of the feisty blonde, the icy chill radiating off of her. "A steak. Medium rare. Let's go to lunch."

Caroline's jaw dropped and she scoffed. The way he looked her up and down implied he wanted to eat her far more than he wanted some steak. "Are you seriously trying to hit on me right now? You blow off my interview, tell me I'm not the right fit for you in the harshest of ways and now you're hitting on me?" If it wasn't so absurd it might even be a little funny.

Klaus just laughed, stepping closer to her. "Okay one, we had the interview. I asked you questions and you answered, that's the definition of an interview isn't it? And two, I said you weren't a right fit for my gallery. I never said you weren't a right fit for me. There's a difference."

"And why's that?" Caroline asked, knowing she should just get into her car now and never look back. She didn't need explanations from this world class tool.

"You're Rembrandt and I'm more Dali. You're 17th century Baroque, and I'm 20th century surrealism." He moved closer and Caroline felt her pulse pick up speed when his tongue darted out to lick his lips. "You're pure and clean and innocent and I'm…" he gave her the hungry look a wolf might give a sheep "well I'm not those things." He smirked, watching the way her eyes widened. "We might not fit well together for work purposes but I can think of a few other places where we go together just right." He reached up to tuck a loose strand of hair back behind her ear and that seemed to snap Caroline out of her trance.

She reached up to slap his hand away but that infuriating smirk stayed glued to his smug face.

"You have a lot of nerve!" Caroline proclaimed, trying to keep her voice stern despite the bizarre effects his proximity was having on her ability to function.

"So I've been told."

"Well I'm not interested." She spat out, keeping her arms crossed over her breasts to hide the plain as day fact that her body was certainly interested.

He just smirked, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pen and paper before scribbling something down quickly. "Well if you change your mind there's this showing tonight. You should come."

He handed her the paper and Caroline instinctively took it.

"Don't count on it." She said, her eyes narrowing again.

With that same smug look on his face, Klaus just shrugged nonchalantly before turning on his heel and strolling off again.

Caroline sat curled up on the couch, clad in sweatpants and with a quilt blanket wrapped tightly around her. In her hand, she twirled the piece of paper Klaus had given her around and around. The slip of paper had an address scribbled on it but it wasn't like she was considering going. The sound of heels clacking on the wooden floors moved closer and Caroline quickly shoved the paper beneath her blanket. Her roommate Elena entered the living room and let out a sigh at the sight of Caroline tucked into the couch for the night.

Elena knew Caroline had had a tough day. Or rather a tough few weeks, months even. She was still in the post-graduation slump and another failed interview only added to the pressure. And it didn't help that all her friends had their lives together. Bonnie had gone to law school in upstate California, Elena had a job writing a fashion column for some website, and Matt had gotten drafted into the NFL – sure it was third string for the Tennessee Titans (and who cared about the Tennessee Titans?) but it was still a big deal. So Elena knew her friend was feeling down lately but hiding out on the couch every night wasn't going to make anything better. It was just depressing.

"What are you doing, Care?" Elena asked with a sigh as she came to stand in front of Caroline.

"Umm," Caroline said, looking from the pizza menu on the table to the TV and knowing exactly what her friend would think about her plans for the night.

Elena didn't give her a chance to respond. "Come out with Stefan and me!" She said, clapping her hands together enthusiastically.

"Uhh," Caroline said. She liked Elena's new boyfriend Stefan well enough but she had absolutely no interest in being a third wheel to their plans.

"It'll be fun." Elena said energetically. "And you need to get out. You can't just order in and watch TV every night."

Caroline tried not to blush at how accurately Elena had deduced her evening plans. "As a matter of fact, I already have plans." She said confidently.

Elena just arched her eyebrow and shot her friend a disbelieving look.

"I got invited to this art showing." Caroline proclaimed, pulling the slip of paper from beneath the blanket and waving it in front of her friend.

"Oh, that sounds like fun."

"Mhm." Caroline mumbled, knowing full well she had no intention of actually going. She would just wait for Elena to leave and then go about her night as planned.

Elena snatched the piece of paper from Caroline before and scanned it quickly. "Hey, this is on our way. We'll carpool."

Caroline's mouth opened and closed soundlessly as she tried to figure out how to work her way out of this. "Yeah but I'm not even ready yet." She finally said, gesturing down to her sweatpants and tee shirt.

"It's okay. I'll wait." Elena said, sitting down and crossing her legs, shooting Caroline an expectant look.

With a groan, Caroline threw back the quilt and stood up from the couch. Rolling her eyes at no one in particular, she stumbled out of the living room and to her bedroom. She made sure to take her time getting ready but when she returned to the living room, Elena was still sitting there patiently and Stefan had joined her. Elena whistled and catcalled as Caroline walked into the living room and the blonde did a quick twirl for her friend, showing off the little slinky black number that accentuated her long legs.

"Are we ready to go?" Stefan asked with a smile, standing from the couch and holding a hand out for Elena.

The three filed out to Stefan's car, chatting idly. Halfway through the car ride, Caroline was fully regretting her decision. What if she actually ran into Klaus? He'd probably read too much into her coming. He'd assume she was there for him and his ego would be even bigger by the end of the night.

She didn't have time to change her mind as Stefan pulled up to the curb and turned around to face her.

"This is you."

There was a brief pause before Caroline finally thanked them and stepped out of the car, waving to Elena as they pulled away. Caroline turned from the street and walked into the large gallery that housed the showing. Taking in her surroundings, she realized it was a lot more crowded than she had expected. That at least meant she'd be less likely to run into _him_. Sidling up to where drinks were being served, Caroline ordered a soda before working her way around the room, pausing to look at various pieces.

She was standing in front of a large canvas painting when that smug laced voice sounded from behind her.

"I see you decided to come after all."

Caroline rolled her eyes but didn't turn around, choosing to strategically ignore him instead as she lifted her glass to her lips.

Unfazed by her obvious dismal, Klaus sauntered forward and came to stand right beside Caroline.

"And here I thought you hated my guts."

She just snorted. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm not here for you."

"Oh?" Klaus asked with a smirk and one arched eyebrow. "Then why are you here?"

She couldn't very well tell him she had only come because her roommate insisted she get out of the house so instead Caroline said, "for the art of course. It's stunning."

"Hm, stunning you say?" Klaus said with a smirk. "Do tell me more. But first," he took the drink from her hand just as she was about to lift it to her lips, placing it on the tray of a nearby waiter. "Let's get you a drink. Something stronger than Dr. Pepper." He put his hand on the small of her lower back and started ushering her back toward the bar.

Caroline wasn't quite sure why she went along with him. All she knew was that his hand touched her lower back and her entire body flushed with heat. They reached the makeshift bar and Klaus tapped the counter to get the attention of the bartender.

"You were saying, about the paintings?" Klaus asked with an expectant look as two drinks appeared in front of them.

"It's amazing." Caroline replied, deciding to humor him with a bit of conversation. "The artist shows real insight. The work is gritty and real but still so eloquent…"she trailed off when she realized he was staring at her with a wide grin on his face.

"What?" She asked, wondering if there was something on her face.

"Nothing. Please continue." He said gesturing with his hand.

Before she could a man interrupted them, clapping Klaus on the back. "Phenomenal job. You've really outdone yourself this time."

"Thank you." Klaus spoke to the man but his eyes never left Caroline's face.

She waited for the other man to depart before fixing Klaus with a glare. "You're such an asshole."

Klaus put a hand to his chest in mock offense. "What? Just a moment ago I was insightful. Gritty and real but still so eloquent."

Caroline rolled her eyes and moved to walk away but he caught her forearm and pulled her back to him.

"Oh come on, I was just having a bit of fun." He said with a sexy, low laugh that had Caroline's pulse racing again.

She took two steps back from him before her body could override her brain and give in to the instinct to bury her face in his neck and soak up that delicious scent he was emanating.

"Well, have fun at someone else's expense." She said, trying to instill annoyance in her voice.

"But you make irritated look so adorable, love." He said, taking two steps forward to close the space she had put between them.

Knowing he wouldn't go away (and part of her not wanting him too) Caroline just turned to face the crowd, leaning back against the bar.

"Well you sure know how to draw quite the crowd." She said, looking out at all the bodies milling around the gallery, taking in the paintings.

Klaus just shrugged, his eyes glued to Caroline as she watched the crowd. "Comes with the territory." He said idly, his mind far more occupied with plotting just how he was going to get a taste of those plump red lips.

"Why open your own gallery then?" Caroline turned to face him again and her breath caught at the hungry look in his eyes.

"What do you mean?" He asked, his stare trailing up from her lips to lock on her eyes.

Sucking in a breath, Caroline continued. "Why open your own gallery when you do well enough selling your own paintings."

Again he gave her that easygoing shrug. "I had all this money laying around and my own gallery seemed like a wise investment."

Caroline scoffed. "That must be nice. You have two jobs and I can't even get one."

Klaus laughed. "What? A girl with your sunny disposition can't find anything?" He teased.

"It isn't funny." Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest.

Klaus tried to ignore the way that motion plumped up her breasts like they were being served on a platter, and instead focused on what she was saying. "Oh come on, I'm sure something will come up."

"Yeah, maybe the next guy who interviews me won't send me away after two minutes." She shot back with a fine-tuned glare.

"Don't be cross." He said, smirk back in place. "I may be able to help you."

"I don't want your stinking job now." Caroline said, internally chastising herself seconds after the words left her mouth. She was in no position to turn away help.

"I wasn't offering you a job." He said, taking her hand in his and pulling her away from the bar. "But I do know people."

Caroline felt sparks shoot up her arm when he clasped her hand in his, and she barely managed to stay upright as he pulled her along. She'd only just cleared her hazy mind when he introduced her to some austere looking woman in a chic skirt suit.

They carried on like this for an hour, Klaus leading her from person to person, and by the end of it Caroline had a number of interviews lined up at some of L.A.'s finest galleries – all places who had refused to see her when she'd first applied. All the while she tried to remain professional despite the spikes in her temperature whenever Klaus would put his hand on the small of her back or take her clammy hands in his calloused ones.

Klaus, for his part, made no efforts to hide his attraction to Caroline. Whenever he took her hand in his, he imagined that soft hand wrapped around his dick. When he put his hand on the small of her back he imagined trailing it just a little lower and lifting her up by her ass. And he could tell she wasn't unaffected by him either. He'd watch the pulse at her neck race and imagine licking that throbbing spot, nipping along her elegant collarbone and down to her pert breasts.

The gallery was starting to empty out when Caroline found herself in a quiet corner alone with Klaus.

"Well, thanks for all the introductions but I should probably get going." She said, biting her lower lip.

Klaus watched intently as she caught her full, red lip between those straight white teeth and felt his entire body tense. The action wasn't one of a trained seductress trying to get a rise out of a man but rather a simple, shy motion that she didn't seem to be all that conscious of. The innocence radiating off of her set his blood boiling and for a moment Klaus thought he should probably keep his filthy hands to himself – she was too good, too pure. But that thought was quickly overrun when Caroline's tongue darted out to lick her lips. It might be wrong but he knew then that he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off. Especially not when she was giving him that wide-eyed look.

"The night is young. We could still go out for drinks." Klaus said, stepping closer to Caroline, effectively backing her up against the wall.

"It's better if I just head home." Caroline said, her hands clasped behind her back as her eyes darted down to his lips. He had such nice lips. Full and curved. Juicy. That was the word she was looking for. His lips looked juicy.

Klaus brought his hands up and braced them against the wall behind her, caging her between his arms. "Now where's the fun in that?" He asked, tilting his head to the side as he gazed intently down at her.

"No fun for me tonight." Caroline replied, her voice coming out breathy though she gave herself credit for being able to speak at all when his face was just a few inches from hers. "I think I'm coming down with something."

"Hmm, must be the heat." Klaus said, moving closer so his chest brushed hers momentarily. That brief brush was enough to have him hardening in his pants.

Caroline swallowed and instinctively began chewing on her lower lip again.

Lifting one hand from the wall, Klaus moved her hair back over her shoulder then ran his index finger along her exposed neck, pausing over her rapidly beating pulse.

"Your pulse is racing, Caroline." He said almost idly as his finger began to move again, running along her smooth collarbone now. "Do I scare you?" He asked, leaning closer so his breath rushed across her cheek when he spoke.

When she didn't respond he continued. "I can feel your pulse racing here." He said, dragging his fingers along her neck again. "And here." He whispered, pulling her hand from behind her back and bringing it to his lips to kiss the throbbing pulse at her wrist. "And I can feel your heart throbbing faster here." He continued, lowering her hand and gliding his fingers along her chest. Klaus ran his hand slowly down her stomach and paused right at the apex between her legs. "Tell me Caroline, are you throbbing here too?"

She didn't respond but Klaus could hear her heavy breathing now.

"Hmm, guess I'll just have to find out for myself." Klaus said with a smirk.

His eyes stayed locked on hers as he lowered himself to his knees, his hands trailing down the sides of her body as he went. When he reached the bottom of her short dress, Klaus started sliding his hands up again, lifting her dress to around her waist.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Caroline prayed everyone had left the gallery already and there were no stragglers left that might happen upon them in this compromising. But she also knew it wouldn't matter if there was someone still there, she was too caught up in him now and Caroline couldn't stop him even if she wanted to. The gallery was silent except for the sounds of her labored breathing as she stared down at Klaus who just smirked back up at her.

Klaus slowly rolled down her skimpy lace panties until they reached her knees, and then he pulled them off, Caroline wordlessly stepping out of them. He tapped each knee, indicating for her to spread her legs and she did so quickly. Klaus leaned in closer and paused, breathing in her intoxicating scent and letting her feel his hot breath on her tender flesh.

Caroline felt incredibly exposed as he stared hotly at her soaking flesh and she tried to breathe normally but felt like she was about to hyperventilate. She stared down at him but Klaus was focused on the pooling moisture between her legs and not looking back up at her anymore. The sight of his lean, muscular body between her bare legs was incredibly erotic and Caroline felt the wetness between her legs grow. Finally Klaus dipped his head closer and she braced herself for impact.

The hot feel of his mouth on her pussy startled Caroline. She had been expecting it, had steeled herself for the moment, but it still shocked her. Caroline had been gone down on before but she had never particularly enjoyed it. She had expected to feel a tongue pushing and prodding at her but the sensation that overwhelmed her was like nothing she had ever experienced. He placed his whole mouth on her, a blanket of wet hotness. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Caroline tried to figure out how he could possibly be creating these sensations she was feeling but all coherent thoughts fled her mind when he started moving his tongue. She was certain she had lost all sense of feeling expect between her legs. Every nerve in her body converged between her legs and Caroline felt her vision go a little blurry.

Klaus lifted one leg and threw it over his shoulder, changing the angle of his tongue plunging into her. He heard her let out an "oh fuck" and felt her fingers sink into his hair. 'Oh fuck' was all she could apparently say as she grinded her sex into his face with her tight grip on his hair. Klaus used his entire mouth on her, teeth, tongue and lips all working tirelessly at her soaking, tender flesh.

A tingling sensation started to grow between Caroline's legs with a building pressure behind it. Her head slammed back against the wall as she looked up at the ceiling with a long, loud moan. Her body twitched as the wave of strong, intense sensation grew, swelling and far beyond her control at this point. There was a quick nip at her clit and that was the last straw. Her body exploded. Caroline arched her back, shut her eyes, curled her toes and felt the earth, stars and moon all collide. Her body shattered in what had to be the most incredible experience of her life. She was still moaning incoherently as waves of continued pleasure, delicious and torturous and incredible, radiated out from her pussy and overtook her entire body.

Slowly, the orgasm faded, a few delicious tendrils hanging around a little longer than others and her body was shaking uncontrollably by the time the last sweet sensation left her body. Caroline's entire body went limp and she vaguely registered the feeling of Klaus sliding her panties back into place and pulling her dress back down.

Her breathing was still out of control when he stood back up and promptly buried his face in her neck with a low growl.

"That was the sexiest fucking thing I've ever seen." Klaus rumbled against her now sweaty skin, nipping at her neck.

Watching Caroline fall apart like that had been the single most erotic experience of his life and Klaus was more than a little eager for a repeat performance. If he didn't get her out of here now, he'd surely end up fucking her against the wall.

"I need you." He growled against her neck, switching sides to bite at the skin on the other side. "Say you'll come home with me."

Caroline, still dazed from her orgasm managed to mumble out a "huh?"

Unable to resist the temptation of her lips anymore, Klaus crashed his mouth down onto hers. Caroline's lips were soft and pliant as he ate her, intent on devouring her whole. His tongue sank into the silky cavern of her mouth and he groaned, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her up against him, grinding their lower halves together. When he finally pulled away, Klaus spoke, more than a little out of breath.

"Say you'll come home with me, Caroline."

Unable to form words, Caroline just nodded. Klaus had no idea he'd feel so relieved at her acquiescence. He hadn't realized just how much he wanted this woman – couldn't even recall ever wanting anything as badly as he wanted this.

"Let's go." He said, crushing his lips to hers once more before pulling her toward the door.

As Klaus led her out of the gallery, Caroline thanked the Heaven's above that she'd gone in for that interview this morning.


	29. The One Where She Leaves Him

**The One Where She Leaves Him**

The first time she walked away, he didn't follow her.

In retrospect, neither of them could remember exactly what the fight had been about. Klaus thought it might have had something to do with Caroline's complete lack of concern for her own safety. Caroline was fairly certain it had something to do with his severe thick-headedness.

The _why _wasn't what mattered. What mattered was that the first time she walked away, he didn't follow her. There was yelling, there was growling, there was the door slamming and then there was just Klaus. Alone. Again.

The house was eerily empty without Caroline there. They'd only been living together for three months but Klaus was already addicted to her presence. The light, sweet scent that filled the air when she was around. The soft tinkling sound of her laughter that echoed through the halls. The weight of her in his arms at night when he would stay awake to watch her sleep. He hadn't realized just how much he had come to rely on it until she was gone.

Klaus hardly made it through the first night. He paced the length of their bedroom like a caged tiger, livid that she could walk out on him without so much as a backwards glance. He took his frustrations out on the wall, leaving a large crater in the plaster by the time he was done. By the second night, a few bottles of whiskey had forced him to face the truth. It had only been a matter of time before Caroline walked out on him. Klaus had still been adjusting to the fact that she was with him at all. It had only been a matter of time before Caroline realized the truth – he wasn't worthy. He was a cold blooded monster. Always had been and always will be. A guy like him didn't deserve a girl like Caroline. He deserved to be alone – was built for it even.

Cradling the bottle of whiskey in his hands, Klaus paced the living room before finally sinking into the armchair by the fireplace. He stared at the area rug there for a moment. They'd made love there the first night she had come to him, right in front of the burning fireplace. Klaus had been too desperate for her to make it all the way to the bedroom so he had stripped her bare and laid her down right there. It'd been his first taste of Caroline and he'd been addicted from the very start.

Klaus briefly contemplated burning that rug – burning everything in the house that Caroline had ever touched. Everything that retained so much as a faint hint of her intoxicating scent. He wanted to be rid of it all. But the thought fled almost as quickly as it had come. Klaus knew he couldn't do it – couldn't destroy whatever little things that were left to connect him to Caroline. It was a fitting punishment to inflict on himself. He'd keep it all as a reminder. A constant reminder of what he once had – and what he lost.

And whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all was sorely mistaken. Because part of Klaus wished he could erase it all. Part of him wished he could go back to a time before he'd even met Caroline – a time when darkness had been all he knew and he'd thrived in it. Now that he'd had his time in the sun with Caroline, the darkness seemed stark and lonely. Memories of basking in her light made the years of blackness stretched out before him seem almost unbearable. So part of Klaus wished he could take it all back. But the other part of him wouldn't trade those three months for anything in the world. Even if the memories were pure torture, it was torture of the sweetest kind. So maybe whoever said it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all had been on to something after all.

The first time she walked away, he didn't follow her but someone else had.

Caroline wasn't really sure what came next for her. She'd thought she'd be seeing the world with Klaus right now but that had fallen to pieces before it'd really even begun. Caroline had been lying on her back in a hotel room contemplating this when there was a knock at the door.

She shot up from the bed at vampire speed, her head spinning to face the door. No one knew she was here so Caroline couldn't imagine who that could possibly be. Unless it was _him_. He'd finally come for her. Sucking in a deep breath that she didn't need, Caroline took a quick look in the mirror. Her eyes were still vaguely red from non-stop crying and her hair was matted and tangled. She ran her fingers through her hair and rubbed at the bags beneath her eyes before rushing to the door and flinging it open.

A Mikaelson stood there but not the one she had been hoping for.

"What are you doing here Elijah?" She asked, the confusion evident in her voice.

"You could invite me." He said with an arched eyebrow.

"It's a hotel, you don't need an invitation to get in." Caroline responded as if that should be obvious.

Elijah just scoffed. "I may not _need _an invitation but etiquette dictates that you issue one."

"Come in." Caroline said, stepping back to let him in.

Elijah looked around at the small hotel room before finally just choosing to stand in the corner.

"How did you find me?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Elijah just shot her a mocking look as if to say there should be no doubt in anyone's mind that he could locate whoever the hell he damn well pleased.

"Fine. What do you want?"

"I see we won't be engaging in the usual pleasantries." He said with a scoff.

"What do you want, Elijah?"

He paused before finally responding. "I want my brother whole again."

"Well that has nothing to do with me." Caroline said, opening the door as she spoke and gesturing for him to leave.

Elijah darted forward at full speed and slammed it shut again, standing opposite Caroline now.

"It has everything to do with you."

Caroline just snorted. "If that was the case, he'd be here right now talking to me himself."

Elijah was a man of bottomless patience but he wouldn't tolerate willful ignorance. His brother was spiraling out of control and the one woman capable of saving him from himself was woefully blind to the real problem.

"You know my brother cares for you, Caroline. Don't pretend otherwise." He said sternly.

She walked away from him to sit on the bed. "Yeah well, caring just isn't enough now is it? I was naïve to think we would ever work. We're too different."

"What a convenient excuse to hide behind." Elijah replied, tilting his head slightly to the side.

"What is your problem?" Caroline asked, standing up from the bed but immediately sitting back down when Elijah rushed forward to come stand in front of her.

"Caroline, you're a lovely girl I'm sure but I get the impression you fall in love frequently and with reckless abandon."

She opened her mouth to retaliate but a stern look from Elijah had her shutting it again.

"These are uncharted waters for Niklaus. You see, my brother has spent centuries perfecting the art of sealing himself off from the world. I won't deny that he seems to have fallen in love with you but Niklaus doesn't know _how _to love. More importantly, he doesn't know how to _be _loved."

"What is your point Elijah?" Caroline asked, glaring up at him.

Elijah ran his tongue along his teeth in annoyance and looked off to the side before turning to face her again. "My point is I'm counting on you to teach him, Caroline."

She looked down at the floor and contemplated his words. "What if he doesn't want to learn?"

"Be patient with him. He'll make mistakes – most of them intentional to try to drive you away. But you have to be patient. "

"What if I don't want to be patient?" Caroline asked, knowing it wasn't true even as the words left her mouth.

Elijah just arched an eyebrow. "Then you're not the woman I thought you were."

Caroline didn't have the chance to respond as Elijah made his way to the door. Just as he was about to leave she asked, "Why go through all the trouble to get me to go back to him?"

Elijah just stood in the doorway, adjusting his cufflinks. "This is my family. It's what I do."

With that he left and Caroline threw herself back onto the bed.

Klaus was hours into his now daily routine of getting smashed in front of the fireplace when he heard the sound of the front door creek open. The sound of heels clacking on the floor and moving closer to him had Klaus assuming his sister was paying him a visit for some reason or another. He didn't bother to tear his eyes away from the fireplace as she entered the room. It wasn't until the boots were in his direct line of vision that Klaus finally looked up and locked eyes with Caroline. His first thought was that he was so drunk he'd begun to hallucinate her. His second thought was that it was a hallucination he never wanted to end.

"Caroline."

The way he said her name had shivers racing down her spine. Caroline hadn't realized just how much she missed the sound of her name falling from his lips.

After a long moment of silence she finally said, "hey."

She'd come straight back after Elijah had left but Caroline hadn't really thought of what she would say beyond 'hey'.

Before she realized what was happening, Klaus had left the chair and fallen to his knees in front of her, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her stomach.

"You came back." He muttered against her stomach, breathing in her scent.

Not knowing what to say, Caroline just buried her fingers in his hair, running them repeatedly through his locks. There was another brief moment of silence before he spoke again.

"You can't do that Caroline. You can't make me love you this much and then walk away. I can't handle it."

She sunk to the ground in front of him, her arms wrapping around his neck. "I shouldn't have left."

"I know I probably messed up and I'll most likely mess up again. Just promise me that you'll be patient with me. Grade me on a learning curve or something?" Klaus buried his face in her hair, wrapping his arms tighter around her.

Caroline used her grip on his hair to pull his head back so she could meet his eyes. "I promise."

Klaus touched his index finger to her chin, tipping it ever so slightly. "Thank you." He whispered, his fingers caressing her cheek.

He could smell her skin, feel the heat of her breath – he could already taste the sweet explosion of her lips under his. Cupping her chin in both hands now, Klaus grazed his lips over hers.

"I missed you." Caroline whispered.

That was all Klaus needed to hear. He crushed his lips against hers, their tongues meeting in a clash. Unable to take it slow, Klaus devoured her mouth. With a moan Caroline shifted closer and her breasts plastered against his chest while unadulterated desire raced like wildfire along his limbs. Her hair was as soft as he remembered, her breath even softer, and her body was pure heaven in his arms.

In one swift motion, Klaus had Caroline on her back. She ran her hands slowly up his chest and burrowed her face into the crook at his neck. Then her teeth came down gently on his earlobe. Lust shot through him, and Klaus let out a low growl.

"Déjà vu." Caroline said with a low laugh, remembering the first time he'd fucked her in this same spot.

"Not quite, love." He replied, tearing her dress from her body in one smooth motion. "That time was hard and fast. This time will be slow. So slow." He said, easing back to admire her naked form.

He inched a hand gradually up her ribcage, finding the soft underside of her breast. He smoothed his thumb over the peak, drawing a lazy circle, pulling her nipple to a pebble. Not content to just lay there, Caroline reached for him running her fingertips over his chest and toned abdomen. Klaus sucked in a quick breath as she brushed his stiff length. He let her stroke him once, then twice, before trapping her wrist and calling a halt to the motion before he lost control. Klaus pushed her arms over her head, where they had to behave. With a grin, he kissed her mouth, and her neck, and her full, plump breasts. He released her hands from his grip as his lips roamed free, testing and suckling the delicious skin he'd missed in the brief time they'd been apart.

Caroline brought her hands up to tangle in his hair, moaning his name, everything inside her tightening and heightening. She was on the verge of begging him to get on with it when he kissed his way back up her body and crashed his lips down onto hers. With smooth, slinky movements Klaus slid atop her, linking his fingertips with hers and pressing them down against the area rug. Her knees instinctively moved apart, and their bodies met, slick and hot and impossibly sweet.

Klaus eased inside her at an almost leisurely pace, much slower than she could bear. She thrashed her head from side to side and squeezed his hands, her sporadic kisses growing deeper and more frantic. Then she instinctively flexed her hips, sucking him in and with a loud groan he pushed the final inch to paradise. Not missing a beat, he set a rhythm, speeding up and slowing down. It wasn't long before Caroline began to feel that familiar burn of passion build in her. Her eyes squeezed shut, her head tilted back and her entire focus contracted to the spot where their bodies met.

Just like that, the world turned to heat, and sensation and scent. She could feel his muscles clench, his body tense and his desire take over. He sped up wildly and stayed there, his thrusts intent and solid. A moan started low in her throat and Caroline made no efforts to hold it back. It grew louder and more frantic, until she cried out his name, and the world fell apart. He gave a final thrust, burying himself deep inside her as he let go.

They lay there for a moment, their bodies slick with sweat and clinging to each other, before Klaus finally mustered up the energy to roll off of her and to the side. Lying on his back, he quickly pulled Caroline to him and she nuzzled into his side.

The silence continued for a moment longer before Caroline finally spoke.

"For the record - when a girl storms off, you follow her."

Klaus, still new to this whole relationship thing, asked "Why?"

"Because that's what you do when you love someone."

The next time she walked away, he followed her.


	30. The One Where He Loves Her

**The One Where He Loves Her**

The first time she tells him she loves him, it's completely unintentional.

Caroline had been packing her bags while Klaus sat quietly on the bed and watched. She'd loved their first ever trip together but Caroline was happy to be going home to Mystic Falls. The scowl on Klaus' face made it clear he didn't share that enthusiasm. The month abroad with Caroline going from city to city had been remarkable but he couldn't turn off the nagging voice in his head taunting him with the possibility that once they stepped foot on Mystic Falls soil again, Caroline would realize the grave mistake she had made and leave him.

"We don't have to go back you know." Klaus said, trying to keep his voice casual to hide his fears. He stood up from the bed and dashed over to her, pressing her back to his front and running his hands up and down her arms. "There's plenty more places to see, love."

Tossing her shoes into the luggage, Caroline glanced over her shoulder at him. "And we'll see them all, time's a non-issue. But first, we have to go home."

Klaus scoffed at her claim that time was a non-issue Time was his biggest issue right now. Every precious second he spent with Caroline was a countdown to the moment when she would inevitably leave him. Having a rare moment of weakness, he told her this.

Caroline spun on her heel to face him, an incredulous look on her face. "Don't be ridiculous, I love you."

Klaus' eyes closed for just an instant and he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, the heavy emotions swirling in those blue orbs was enough to make Caroline a little weak in the knees. Before she could say anything else, Klaus was kissing her like his very existence depended on it. The kiss had none of his usual finesse, and not an ounce of his normal restraint. It was a rough, bruising kiss, and Caroline reveled in it. She would have kissed him back, but it wasn't that kind of kiss. All that she could do was submit to his attack, her mouth softening for him—her whole body softening.

After that, Caroline said those three words frequently and wholeheartedly. She'd yell it down the stairs to him as he walked out of the house, she'd whisper it to him when he was buried deep inside her, she'd mumble it to him most nights before she fell asleep curled up in his arms. Caroline said it all the time because she knew apart of him simply refused to believe it. So she'd say it again, and again, and again until he got it through his thick skull. Klaus never said it back but Caroline didn't let that dissuade her. She knew he loved her even though he couldn't say the words. Caroline would watch his eyes go to that soft loving place when he looked at her and she didn't need the words. She knew it.

"I love you." Caroline said as they stood on the Gilbert home porch.

Klaus leaned down to give her a quick kiss before pulling away. "I'll see you later." He said, unable to resist stealing another kiss before jogging down the steps and back to his car.

Caroline walked into the Gilbert home to find Elena standing right there in the foyer. She'd come over to help her best friend prepare an anniversary dinner but it didn't look like Elena had been up to any cooking yet.

"You said you love him." Elena blurted out as Caroline shut the front door behind her.

"Uh huh." She replied nonchalantly, hoping this wasn't the beginning of the age old 'how could you?' argument. Caroline had hoped her friends had finally moved past that.

Elena crossed her arms over her chest. "And he said 'I'll see you later'."

"Uh, huh." Caroline repeated with a nod, wondering just how long her friend had been lurking by the front door.

"But you said 'I love you'."

"This is correct." She said with another slow nod and a mocking look on her face.

"And he said 'I'll see you later'." Elena said, her tone clearly confused.

Caroline couldn't hold back the laugh that bubbled up. "What is your point Elena?"

Her friend just rolled her eyes, her arms dropping to her sides. "Well the typical response would be 'I love you too'."

Caroline just shrugged. "Not for him."

"Well, has he ever said…it?" Elena asked, eyeing her friend.

"No." She replied with another easy going shrug.

Elena stood there for a moment, wracking her brain for an explanation. The Caroline she knew would be an emotional wreck if she confessed her love to a guy and he didn't respond the same way. What girl wouldn't be devastated? And she made it seem like a common occurrence.

Caroline watched the confusion in her friend's eyes for a moment longer before speaking again. "Look, I know he loves me. And when he's ready, he'll say it."

"But how do you know?"

"I just do."

"You just know?"

"Elena, I _know _him. He's a thousand year old vampire. He's been around for a _thousand_ years – and in all that time he's never said those three words. When he finally realizes that I'm not going anywhere, he'll say it. And I don't care if it takes another thousand years, because I already _know_. He loves me."

On the other side of the door, Klaus stood gripping the porch railing. He'd made it to the car only to discover Caroline had left her phone on the seat and when he jogged back up the steps to take it to her, Klaus had stumbled upon her conversation with Elena. Eavesdropping was very low on the list of his misdeeds so Klaus had no shame in standing there and waiting for the conversation to play out. It wasn't until he heard the soft sounds of their footsteps retreating that he finally turned around and went back to the car, Caroline's phone still in his hand.

Klaus sat behind the wheel of the unmoving car for a moment and tried to wrap his mind around what he had just heard. A thousand years. Caroline wanted another thousand years with him. Klaus cherished every moment he spent with her because part of him still believed it was all so fleeting but the realization that Caroline would spend another thousand years by his side lifted a burden from his chest that Klaus hadn't realized he'd been carrying all this time. And every day that he didn't tell her he loved her was a wasted opportunity. That's not to say he hadn't tried. There had been moments when he thought he'd finally worked up the nerve to say it but the three words would get caught in his throat at the last moment. It warmed his heart that she knew it anyway – that she understood him enough to know that even if the words hadn't passed his lips he loved her more than his own existence. Still, that was no excuse. The words had to be said and it was way past time that he said them.

Caroline stood on the porch of the house she shared with Klaus and waved a quick goodbye to Elena before the other girl drove off. Shutting the front door behind her, she pulled off her heels, hooking them on her fingers and heading up the stairs. Caroline headed straight for their bedroom, knowing she would find Klaus there. He sat on the bed, his back against the headboard and one leg thrown over the other, with his sketchbook in hand. Klaus looked up and shot her that slow grin as she entered the room.

Smiling back, Caroline tossed her shoes aside and leapt on the bed, promptly nuzzling into his side. He lifted his arm to wrap it around her shoulders as Caroline laid her head on his chest.

"It's only been a few hours but I missed you." Klaus muttered, dropping a quick kiss onto her head and inhaling her scent.

"I missed you too." Caroline replied with ease, her fingers already tracing idle patterns across his chest.

There was a brief moment of silence before Klaus brought his index finger to her chin and tilted her head back to look up at him. He stared intently at her and Caroline couldn't drag her eyes away from his. She could literally drown in those eyes, could spend hours deciphering all the stories there. A thousand years' worth of experiences all tucked away behind those enigmatic eyes.

"What?" Caroline finally whispered when the silence had droned on for a while.

The easygoing smile fell from his face and was replaced by a serious look. "I love you, Caroline." He whispered.

Caroline sucked in a deep breath she didn't need and her fingers clutched around the fabric of his shirt. She'd already known this to be a fact but actually hearing the words for the first time sent a profound rush of ecstasy racing through her veins.

Caught up in her reaction, Klaus grinned again, his fingers trailing through her hair now. When the initial shock finally wore off, Caroline decided to seize the moment. With Klaus still sitting up against the headboard, she shifted quickly so that she was straddling his lap, crawling forward so their chests were touching and their faces were mere inches apart. He may have finally said the words but Caroline knew this didn't mean Klaus would suddenly become an open book of affection. She wanted to milk what she could while she had the chance.

"Why?"

Klaus' brows shot up and he gave her a genuinely baffled look. "Why?"

"Why do you love me?" Caroline asked, grinning now as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

His eyes went soft again, flipping in an instant from confused to that tender look he got in his eyes whenever they were alone together.

"You want me to break it down for you?" He asked with a smirk.

Caroline just nodded, still grinning.

Klaus traced a finger across her jaw and over her bottom lip. "I can do that. I'd enjoy that actually. You happen to be my favorite subject, sweetheart. I'll start with your eyes. I fell in love with those first. One look was like a punch to the gut. So bright and pure but still so wise – like you knew pain but didn't let it rule you. I fell in love with your eyes first because I looked into their depths and saw a light to combat my darkness."

Klaus gave her a fond smile before continuing. "Next, I fell for your honesty." He said, burying his hand in her hair to cup the back of her head. "That kind of brutal honesty wasn't something I encountered often – or ever, really. And you were ruthless about it too with that innate composure of yours – like you weren't the least bit afraid of me."

Caroline stared at him intently as he continued.

"Then, I fell for your fortitude. The way you were so resilient to me. I've never needed the chase, never wanted it really, but I relished it with you. I enjoyed peeling back the layers of your scorn and if I got you to smile at me or even to acknowledge my presence it felt like an accomplishment."

Klaus carried on, thoroughly enjoying himself now. "Next, there was your loyalty. The dedication you showed to your friends. The way you were so willing, eager even, to risk everything for the people you love. I remember wishing you could someday feel that way about me too and I would have your undying loyalty."

Klaus wasn't done. "And then there's the fact that you're strikingly beautiful. You're absolutely stunning, Caroline."

He gave her another soft smile, cupping her face in his hands now. "I love you, Caroline." He said very quietly. "There isn't a thing about you that I don't adore. I know it shouldn't have taken me this long to say it. I'm only terrible at this relationship business because I've never done it before – never even wanted to try. But I promise I'll keep working until I get it right. I'm nothing if not determined."

Caroline couldn't find the words to respond. She'd hoped for an inch and he'd given her a mile. Tightening her arms around his neck, Caroline crushed her lips to his. With a groan, Klaus sunk his fingers into her hair and pulled her impossibly closer. The kiss was slow as he sipped at her petal-soft lips, one hand trailing down her back now. Klaus moved his lips leisurely against hers, tasting, savoring and thoroughly enjoying every bit of her sweet mouth. Caroline moaned into his mouth and the deliciously erotic sound had Klaus speeding up the kiss, devouring her now, his tongue making thorough sweeps of her mouth. Caroline's body shook, and she arched into him, her hips moving of their own volition and riding him. The rocking motion had him hardening beneath her and Klaus let out a growl. His kiss turned urgent and hungry. There was no restraint. Which was fine because she was fresh out of restraint herself.

By the time she finally pulled her mouth from his, Caroline's skin was flushed and her lips swollen. Klaus took a moment to drink in the sight of her like this, her pretty pink lips bruised from his kisses, the clear flush of arousal creeping up her neck. He'd never tire of this vision of beauty.

"I love you," Caroline whispered, tilting her forehead against his, "so much."

Klaus couldn't hold back his grin. For the first time, not a single part of him doubted it. "I love you too." He whispered back before quickly flipping them over so he was lying on top of her. "And I'm going to show you just how much."

Caroline let out a tinkling laugh and Klaus' heart clenched with the knowledge that he'd have that laugh, and all the rest of Caroline, for the next thousand years and beyond.


	31. The Card-shark and The Dealer: Part Deux

**The Card-shark and The Dealer: Part Deux**

Caroline's body was still trembling as she made her way out of the casino, Klaus on her tail. She waited until they made it down the street, far enough away from the casino and all of John's prying eyes, before she spun around to face Klaus.

"Thanks for the save back there. I should get going." Caroline muttered quickly, running her hands up and down her arms nervously. She could still feel John's lackey's grip on her arms, could still distinctly remember the terror coursing through her veins. Caroline was caught somewhere between catatonic shock and a hysterical breakdown and all she wanted to do was get home and surrender to one or the other.

"Not so fast." Klaus said, taking her hand in his. He could feel and see the way her body was still shaking with fear. It was strange considering she was just a croupier he hardly knew, but Klaus was worried about her. No one should have to be alone after an ordeal like that. "I thought you owed me a night out on the town." He said, shooting her his best cajoling smile while his hand subtly traced soothing circles around her palm.

"I, what?" Caroline asked, still confused as to why he was still here but finding his hand in hers oddly calming.

Klaus stepped closer until the tips of their shoes were touching and stared down at Caroline. "I thought given that I rescued you and all, you'd at least give me the time of day." He shot her that disarming smile and Caroline realized it wasn't fear that had her pulse racing anymore – it was attraction. "Have you eaten yet, love?"

Caroline shook her head no and Klaus nodded in return. "Come on, I know the perfect place."

Keeping his hand in hers, Klaus turned them and began walking back down the street toward the casino. He noticed the way she froze up as they got closer to the casino and dropped her hand to wrap his arm around her waist instead. "My car's this way love, just relax."

Caroline took deep breaths as they passed the casino but she didn't relax until they'd rounded the corner. They reached the parking garage and Caroline wasn't all that surprised when the valet pulled around a shiny European sports car. Of course a man like him would drive a car like that. Caroline had seen her fair share of professional gamblers and it was all about highs and lows. One minute he'd be driving his fancy car in his fancy suit and the next he'd be betting the pink slip to try to dig himself out of a hole. She didn't understand how people lived like that – after seeing the way gambling destroyed so many lives, Caroline was pretty sure she'd never wager so much as $10 dollars on the roll of the dice or the flip of a card.

Klaus helped her into the car before jogging around the front and climbing into the driver's seat. He noticed Caroline looking around the car and finally asked, "what's on your mind, sweetheart?"

"Just that this **would **be the type of car a guy like you drives."

"A guy like me?" Klaus asked as he started whizzing down the street in the rental car. Sure it was flashy but it was no different than his cars back home – he liked things that went fast. "And what kind of guy am I?" He asked, looking over to throw her a smirk.

"A professional gambler." Caroline said, turning away from his face. That knowing smirk could work any girl out of her panties and she had no intention for falling for his charms. A simple dinner to thank him for saving her – that would be all.

Klaus just grinned as he maneuvered the car down the streets, pushing the speed limit. He figured he should probably disabuse her of the notion—but it was far too much fun to let her think he was a professional gambler. He was well accustomed to women fawning all over him for his money, his family name and his face. To have one wary of him because she believed he was an unscrupulous gambler? It was a novel experience.

"I take it you look down on gambling." Klaus said, taking his eyes off the road briefly to throw her a glance.

Caroline just shrugged. "I have no problem with little old ladies that play the slots for a rush that makes them feel young again."

"So it's just the table games you have a problem with?"

"Not the games, the people. I have a problem with someone betting more than I make in a year on some game and then turning into a violent drunk when they lose it all. I have a problem with men who bet their family's livelihood and then blame fate when they're left with nothing. "

Klaus threw her another look as he pulled up to the parking garage. "Well that's a harsh assessment." He said as he climbed out of the car and jogged around to the other side to help Caroline out before tossing his keys to the valet.

It wasn't until he was leading her across the street that Caroline realized where they were going. The Bellagio towered above them and Caroline dragged her heels in, pulling Klaus to a stop.

"What is it?" He asked, turning to face her with an inquisitive look on her face.

"I can't go in there like this." Caroline said, gesturing down to her croupier's uniform. The skimpy outfit was considered modest on the streets of Vegas where people were waltzing around in a lost less fabric but it would be downright lewd at the Bellagio. "They won't let me in."

"Oh, they'll let you in." Klaus said, looking Caroline up and down quickly. Sure her outfit wasn't the norm for the upscale hotel and the restaurants it housed but money had a way of opening all kinds of doors.

"You're not hearing me." Caroline said, digging her heels in again and yanking him back when he tried to lead her to the hotel. "I'll stand out like a sore thumb, I don't want to go in there."

Klaus tried to keep the shock off his face. He'd never known a woman to turn down a five star restaurant experience but he was quickly realizing Caroline wasn't like most women he knew.

"Okay, we'll go somewhere else." He said, more than happy to cater to her preferences. Klaus would have sat on the ground and eaten a deli sandwich if it meant she'd have dinner with him.

They walked for a bit until Caroline pointed out a hole in the wall pizza place. Klaus swallowed any misgivings he might have had as they bought a whole pie and sat down in one of the corner booths.

"Thanks again. For what you did back at the casino." Caroline said as she lifted a slice to her mouth.

Klaus watched her for a moment before replying. "Well thanks for not swindling me out of millions of dollars."

Caroline almost choked on her bite of pizza and Klaus held her glass of soda up to her with a smirk. She took a swig of the drink before asking him, "you figured that out?"

Klaus just shrugged. "Later than I should have, but yes."

"Yeah well, I didn't do it for you, I did it for me. My integrity is all I have and to let John take that away…" She just shook her head.

"Why are you working for a man like him, anyway?"

Caroline snorted. "Are you suggesting that I should have been a card shark like you instead?"

"Not at all. But I saw the way you watched the poker game. You have a talent for numbers, Caroline. Surely there are other things you could do."

"Like what?"

"You could find a job in finance—"

"I don't have a college degree. Besides, you're one to talk? Why did you decide to become a gambler?"

Again Klaus contemplated disabusing her of that notion but ultimately decided against it. "Because I like taking chances."

It was close enough to the truth. He got a rush out of playing stocks. Sometimes he would go days without sleep as he moved between the international markets. Making money was easy for him. It made sense, unlike everything else in his life. He could control money. He couldn't control the things that had happened to him, or the emotional scars his family bore but when it came to his work – he was 100% in control.

"Well, I don't," Caroline replied. "I like dealing cards. There's no risk in it for me."

Klaus arched an eyebrow. "Apparently, there is."

"Tonight was a first." Caroline shot back, her jaw tightening.

Klaus saw where he had erred, bringing up the night's earlier events and causing Caroline to tense up in the process. He quickly changed the topic and let out an internal sigh of relief when she began to relax again. Klaus found out a lot about Caroline as she told him about her hometown and how John was a relative of one of her closest friends. The longer he listened to her talk, the more Klaus realized he could listen to Caroline for ages. She was quick-witted and enthralling. Half of the pizza sat in the middle of the table, getting cold as time flew by.

"Enough about me." Caroline said with a flush of embarrassment. Nerves made her talk incessantly and something about Klaus made her a little anxious. "I know next to nothing about you other than you gamble for a living."

Klaus gave a small roll of his eyes and a sigh. "I guess it's time that I correct that disillusion. Caroline, I know you'll be so clearly crushed by this revelation but I'm not a professional gambler."

"Oh really?" She asked, folding her arms on the table.

"I'm a stockbroker."

Caroline paused for a moment before letting out a scoff. "Yeah well you guys are just as bad. The stock market is like one giant Vegas table." Klaus arched an eyebrow and she shrugged. "What? I watch CNN."

He threw back his head and let out a laugh. "Fair enough."

Caroline grinned, proud of herself for making him laugh. "So what are you doing in Vegas then? Shouldn't you be in New York or London or something?"

"My younger brother." Klaus said when he'd gotten his laughter under control. "He's disappeared and our older brother is getting married in a few days."

"Disappeared?" Caroline asked, her tone both confused and worried.

"Disappeared may be the wrong word. Kol has a tendency to take off."

"And you think he's in Vegas?"

"I **know **he's in Vegas. I had his credit cards traced."

"But you took a pit stop to go gambling first?" Caroline asked, arching an eyebrow.

Klaus just shrugged, she'd only understand if she knew Kol. "I figured I'd let him blow off steam." The truth was Klaus suspected his younger brother might have held a small torch for Elijah's bride Katherine. If he wanted to spend the days leading up to the wedding getting drunk, fucking women, and gambling than Klaus wasn't going to stop him.

Caroline glanced over at the clock mounted on the wall and realized they'd been at this for over an hour.

"Thanks for the pizza and the…everything, but I should probably head home."

"Very well." Klaus said, standing and holding a hand out to her.

Caroline took it without hesitating and let Klaus lead her back outside. He pulled her closer to him as they walked down the street and Caroline didn't protest. They reached the parking garage and again Klaus helped her into the car before sauntering around the driver's seat. She gave him directions as Klaus drove and a while later he finally came to a stop it front of a tall apartment building.

Caroline hopped out of the car and was surprised to see him doing the same.

Klaus caught the confused look on her face and just gave her a slow smirk. "A gentleman walks a lady to her door."

He placed his hand on the small of her back and Caroline felt the touch searing right through her clothes. She worked to keep her breathing steady as Klaus kept his hand there while they stepped into the elevator. Heart racing, Caroline tried not to think about how close together they stood in the small steel-trap car. She tried to ignore his mouth watering scent and the way his fingers were tracing small circles along her lower back.

Her powers of avoidance weren't working though as Klaus could clearly see the effect he was having on her. He couldn't wipe the smirk off his face when her smooth skin flushed with heat and her nipples hardened beneath that too tight shirt. Caroline was grateful when the elevator doors finally dinged open on the 12th floor. She walked down the hall with Klaus right beside her and stopped in front of her door, digging around in her purse for her keys. Pulling them out from beneath all the clutter, Caroline fumbled with the keys for a moment before Klaus finally took them from her hand.

She looked up to demand he give them back but the look in his eyes had her mouth opening and closing wordlessly. He closed the distance between them before her brain registered what was happening. And then he was weaving a hand in her hair, tilting her head back, his mouth coming down on hers—lightly, sweetly and not the rough kiss she had expected. Sensation came crashing through her, tightening her nipples, heating her skin, leaving a fiery imprint in its wake. The kiss was so soft it was almost nothing, and yet it was everything. They were sharing breath, sharing touch and heat and scent.

Klaus slipped his other arm around her, pulling her close enough that she felt the hard hot heat of him through the thin fabric of her skirt. His sinful tongue traced the line of her lips, the touch sensual and overwhelming, and Caroline opened her mouth to let him inside because in that moment she couldn't imagine doing anything else. When their tongues finally met, she couldn't stifle the moan that tore from her throat. He was so unexpectedly cautious, so gentle, and yet she wanted more, wanted him to unleash the fire she'd seen in his eyes when he looked at her. But Klaus remained tender with her, his tongue stroking against hers so delectably, not overly demanding but still so compelling at the same time. It was a soft and intimate caress, this sensual slide of tongues together, and she shivered with the pure lusciousness of it.

Bringing her hands up, Caroline threaded her fingers into his hair, pulling his mouth tighter to hers. The kiss deepened, and her insides all but liquefied. She pressed herself flush against him and her body ached with need. It had been a long time since she'd been with a man. But Caroline knew that that wasn't what caused the delicious ache. It was him. Klaus was exasperating and exhilarating and dangerous and tender.

Klaus was moments away from taking Caroline pressed up against the wall. He fought to hold onto his infamous control as she rubbed her body against his like a cat in heat, her soft moans more like purrs. And she tasted so good – too good. His body was rigid against hers as he let her take control of the kiss, devouring his mouth like her life depended on it. With superhuman strength, Klaus finally pulled back, his breathing heavy.

He dropped his forehead to hers, working to bring his breathing under control. "You should go inside love, before I get any ideas."

"What if I want you to get ideas?" Caroline whispered and Klaus' shut his eyes with a growl.

Snatching the keys back from him, Caroline shoved it into the door and threw it open. She pulled Klaus in behind her and flipped the light switch on. In a matter of seconds, all the delicious anticipation fled Caroline's body and was replaced with overwhelming fear.

Klaus looked around at the small apartment and his grip on Caroline tightened. The place had clearly been broken into. Pictures littered the floor, the couch in the living room was turned over and the TV was smashed.

"John." Klaus growled, overcome with a murderous rage he hadn't felt since Mikael had died.

"Oh my god. Oh my god." Caroline said, clasping a hand over her mouth as tears started streaming down her face.

The sight of those tears was enough to have Klaus reining in his rage. "It's okay, love." He said, pulling Caroline into his arms and running a soothing hand down her back. "We'll file a police report and you can come spend the night with me." Klaus intended for her to spend more than just tonight with him (there was no chance in hell he was letting her come back to this place until he'd dealt with John) but she was overwhelmed enough and he didn't want to scare her off. "Shh, it's okay." He said softly as Caroline buried her face in his chest.

Caroline knew she should pull it together. Knew she had to call the police, had to figure out where she was going to go. But all she could feel was fear. She'd known John wasn't the definition of a model citizen but it was only just dawning on her now just how dangerous her situation was. She fell apart completely and if it weren't for the strong arms wrapped around her, Caroline wasn't sure she would have found the strength to piece herself back together.


	32. The One Where He Commits to Her

**The One Where He Commits to Her**

Klaus hadn't committed to many things in his 1000 yearlong existence. He committed to breaking the curse and freeing his wolf side. He committed to creating his own master race and building his hybrid army. But in a thousand years that's all he had ever committed to. Until Caroline. Now he was committed to keeping her happy, to keeping her with him.

The room was silent as they stared intently at each other, Caroline perched on the edge of the couch and Klaus seated in the chair across from her. He tilted his head slightly to the right, his eyes still locked on hers and Caroline let out a soft sigh of frustration.

It was Caroline that finally broke the deafening silence.

"I can't." She whispered.

It was the answer Klaus had expected but the words falling from her lips still felt like a crushing weight.

He posed the question again, hoping he hadn't actually heard her answer, hoping that whispered 'I can't' had been nothing but a figment of his imagination. "Come with me to New Orleans, Caroline."

The room fell back into silence for a few more tense moments before she repeated herself. "I can't." Caroline whispered, her tone more than a little sad. "My family, my friends, my life is here."

This thing with Klaus, whatever it was, was still new and raw and confusing. She couldn't rely on it, let alone abandon her life for it no matter how much a small part of her wanted to do just that. Caroline knew what she wanted and she wanted Klaus. But she also knew she wasn't the old Caroline Forbes who would drop everything on a dime to run away with a guy.

Klaus dug his fingers into the arms of the chair and swallowed back a frustrated growl. Elijah needed him in New Orleans and he couldn't turn his back on his brother again. Not when Elijah was the only brother he had left. But Caroline was here and Klaus feared that if he left now that would be it – out of sight, out of mind. He'd worked so hard to get this far with her – to gain her trust, her affections – and may have all been in vain.

Klaus stood up and for a moment Caroline thought he was going to leave in a huff but instead he strolled over to the couch and sat beside her, nestling her body against his side. She curled up against him, breathing in his addictive scent and relishing the sense of safety his arm wrapped around her shoulder provided. Klaus trailed his fingers up and down the smooth skin of her arm – he could spend hours just touching Caroline and never tire of it. And he would have to get his fill of touching her now before 900 miles inevitably came between them.

Sighing into his chest, Caroline finally broke the silence. "Where does that leave us?" She asked, afraid of the answer she'd get but needing to know anyway.

Klaus' fingers continued to trace idle patterns on her arm as he thought about their predicament. They had an endless supply of time and things changed with time. Her mother, her friends, her life – all the things keeping her tied to this godforsaken place would eventually fall away. And for Caroline, Klaus would gladly wait. He'd wait a year, he'd wait a century. Rather than answer her question, Klaus posed one of his own.

"Do you ever think about the future? What do you see?"

Caroline glanced up at him and tried not to be rendered speechless by the penetrating look in his eyes. "You. I see you."

Klaus internally let out a sigh of relief – he hadn't realized the full extent of the power she held over him until those words fell from her lips. Klaus was consistently shocked by the depth of his feelings for her and even more astonished that she returned at least a modicum of those feelings.

Before Caroline could register what was happening, his hands were buried in her hair and his mouth came crashing down on hers. As always, his lips were soft but demanding as he licked and bit at her bottom lip. Caroline moaned into his mouth and Klaus pulled her top lip into his mouth and sucked gently. His tongue caressed hers and Caroline took a small swipe of his mouth and then bit down gently on his lower lip. A small groan erupted from his throat and Caroline relished the sound.

When Klaus finally managed to pull away from her addictive lips, he stood up and held a hand out to Caroline. She walked him to the door, both of them moving slowly as if the extra few seconds of delay would change anything.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning." Klaus said, pulling Caroline into his arms as they stood in front of the door. A very small part of him still hoped she would change her mind and show up on his doorstep in the morning but Klaus knew that wouldn't happen, knew that it was selfish of him to even ask.

With her arms wrapped around his waist and her face buried in his chest, Caroline muttered "you could spend the night here."

"If I stay tonight, I'll never leave." Klaus replied, running his fingers through her hair.

Silence descended again as they stood there like this for a few more moments before Klaus finally pulled away. Caroline watched from the doorway as he left. The dejection that overwhelmed her as he got into his car and disappeared from view was unexpected and far more intense than she had anticipated. In the back of her mind, Caroline was reminded of that song about not knowing what you've got until it's gone.

Caroline spent the majority of the night tossing and turning, her mind filled with an endless cycle of arguing. Part of her wanted to go to New Orleans with Klaus. Sure her life was in Mystic Falls but she couldn't be Miss Mystic Falls forever. Sooner or later she'd have to throw off the security blanket that this familiar place provided and just go for it – why not go for it with Klaus in New Orleans? The other part of her chastised herself for even considering leaving. Her mother's life wasn't eternal like hers. Eventually Liz would be gone and Caroline would be left regretting every moment she could have spent with her mother but didn't. The other part of her argued that she was using Liz as an excuse. She was afraid of what her life would be like outside of Mystic Falls so she hid behind the notion of needing to stay in this small town until Liz was gone.

By daybreak, Caroline had gone back and forth in her head a million times. When she finally climbed out of bed, she rushed over to her closet and pulled out her suitcase. Klaus would have already left but it wasn't too late to catch up to him. If anything, she could surprise him in New Orleans. Caroline wore a wide grin as she raced around her room packing. Her mind was already painting brilliant pictures of the future. Her and Klaus – first New Orleans, then all the great cities of the world. There was no hesitation left in her, only anticipation. This felt right. It was the right time.

Caroline heard movement downstairs and called out "mom?" but there was no response. Liz had been working the night shift at the Sheriff's office and Caroline knew her mother wouldn't take too kindly to her decision but the sooner she told her, the sooner Caroline could leave. She'd been making her way to her bedroom door when it flew open and something was tossed inside. Before she could react, Caroline felt her eyes begin to water and she coughed wildly. By the time she deduced that it was some sort of vervain gas, Caroline had been hit with something else and now the burning sensation had made contact with her skin. It spread all over at a rapid pace and had her withering in pain.

The last thing Caroline saw was a blonde man dart into the room and tackle her back onto the bed.

"It's nothing personal."

The words rung in her ears before there was a blow to her chest and all the pain stopped.

Klaus had only made it a quarter of the way to New Orleans before he realized he couldn't do this. Elijah was his last remaining brother and he had no intentions of forsaking that bond but somehow, Caroline had also become a part of him and Klaus couldn't leave her either. They would figure something out, divide their time between Mystic Falls and New Orleans if need be. If Caroline thought they had a future together Klaus wasn't just going to sit idly around and wait for it to start. And he certainly wasn't going to give her time to change her mind.

He reached Caroline's house and when no one answered the door, Klaus let himself in. Feeling more than a little off kilter, he raced up the stairs and into Caroline's bedroom. Caroline's body lay there on the bed, spread out like Jesus on the cross, and a stake was buried deep in her chest. In a flash, Klaus was on the bed and cradling her in his arms.

He tried to reason with himself, tried to remain calm. He'd had this nightmare before a dozen times. Klaus was going to wake up and she was going to be fine, just like all the other times. But this didn't feel like his nightmares. This felt terrifyingly real. Her skin was cold and hard, that sickly grey hue sending tremors down his spine. The acrid smell of rotting flesh filled the room was a new addition to the nightmare as well. And the shouting coming from downstairs, that was definitely real.

Klaus was still willing himself to wake up when the door to Caroline's bedroom burst open again.

"Caroline!"

He recognized the shouting voice as the human boy's – Matt.

"Caroline." This time his voice was tearful, hopeless. "Jesus, Caroline."

Matt leaned out the door and finally gave into his urge to vomit. He'd gone by the Gilbert home this morning to find Elena and Damon staked the same way. Immediately following that he'd gone to the Salvatore home to get Stefan only to find him dead to. Part of him had known what to expect coming to the Forbes home but still he had held out hope. Now Caroline was dead to – the shock was wearing off and the pain was creeping in. Soul crushing, unbearable pain.

"They got," Matt slid to the floor, tears streaming down his face, "they got them all. They're all gone." He didn't know if he was talking to Klaus or just needing to get the words out – needing to voice it so that it hit home that it was true. All his friends were dead.

"Get out." Klaus' voice was low and dangerous at first and Matt just sat there, unable to move. "GET OUT." He roared this time and Matt scurried out of the room. He had to pull himself together. He had to find Bonnie.

Klaus tightened his arms around Caroline's limp body, pulling her closer. He ran his hands along her skin and it took him a moment to realize the repeated whispered 'Caroline' was coming from his lips. It took him even longer to realize the moisture on his face was coming from his eyes. Klaus knew a lot about pain – about inflicting it, about bearing it – Klaus and pain had a long standing relationship. But the feeling that overwhelmed in that moment went far beyond pain. It went far beyond anything he was capable of describing.

He shifted again on the bed and for the first time, Klaus noticed the open suitcase lying on the bed. It was half filled with clothes haphazardly thrown in. She'd been coming to him. Caroline was on her way to him when this happened. Their future together – she was ready for it.

Klaus hadn't committed to many things in his 1000 yearlong existence but he was committed to Caroline. He was committed to bringing her back. And making them pay.


	33. The One Where He Returns to Her

**The One Where He Returns to Her**

Klaus leaned back in his secluded booth and watched Caroline swirl out on the dance floor. It had been months since he'd last seen her and Klaus felt a little like an addict getting his fix. His eyes never strayed from her as he drank in the sight of Caroline like he was starved for it. She wore a white dress that molded perfectly to her pert chest and tiny waist, leaving an expanse of long, tanned legs bare. With each move, her blonde curls flew up around her face before falling gracefully back to her shoulders. The music pumping through the speakers was a fast, thumping beat but Caroline was dancing about two beats ahead with her wild movements. And it was like she simply didn't care. Her flailing should have looked ridiculous but somehow it only made her seem captivating. It was almost as if a small circle had cleared around her as she spun around in careless circles, her arms waving around from side to side and up and down. Even from where he stood, Klaus could tell she was laughing as she spun around and around. Tilting his head, he watched as she dipped and swayed, not in the least bit in time with the music. She was dancing to a beat no one else seemed to hear. It didn't matter because she made it look effortless. Slow swaying would quickly turn into wild flailing with a few sporadic spins thrown in. Klaus' gaze stayed riveted to her, captivated by the way her blonde curls swung behind her and her elegant neckline stretched as she laughed up at the ceiling.

Feeling the heavy weight of anticipation creeping up on him, Klaus took a sip from the glass in front of him. He may have seen Caroline every few months but it'd been seven years since he'd last spoken to her. Last heard that melodic voice, kissed that perfect pink bow of a mouth, buried his fingers in those lush, bouncing curls.

Seven long years.

Taking another swig of his drink, Klaus contemplated their parting all those years ago. It'd been the hardest decision he'd ever had to make in his thousand yearlong existence – choosing to compel Caroline to forget him. To forget _them_. If circumstances hadn't been what they were, he and Caroline would still be together right now – there was no doubt in Klaus' mind about that. He watched her now, vibrant and energetic, and his mind flashed back to how she had been then.

* * *

_Klaus slowly pushed the door open and saw Caroline in the same spot she'd been this morning, laying silently on the bed. She was curled in on herself and looked impossibly small on the king sized bed. _

_Elena's death had hit her hard. Stefan's death had hit her even harder. But every war had its casualties and they'd started a war when they awakened a being more powerful than them all. Silas had disappeared for well over a year and they'd all been quick to disregard his existence – more than happy to assume that he'd been nothing more than a figment of their imagination. The year between the search for the cure and the return of Silas had been a time Klaus would always hold in high regard. The calm before the storm. So much changed for him. Caroline had changed everything the day she walked into his arms. He'd had it all. And now they were here. _

_Klaus didn't go into the room, he knew Caroline would only send him away. She wanted to be alone. Instead he leaned against the doorframe and watched her with forlorn eyes until he couldn't take it anymore. Klaus returned to the living room where Elijah and Rebekah were talking strategy. Rebekah wanted to run, get away while they still could, but Elijah wanted to fight – exterminate the threat before the threat exterminated them. Klaus could hardly bring himself to care – his thoughts were only on Caroline and her safety. _

"_I have to compel her to leave this place." Klaus spoke lowly beneath his breath as he poured himself a drink._

_Silence greeted him as his siblings shared a look behind his back. Klaus had brought up this proposal before and he knew where they stood on the matter. Neither of them supported this decision, though for different reasons. Rebekah, though she was reluctant to admit it, had grown rather fond of Caroline. Elijah, on the other hand, saw the calming effect Caroline had on his brother and feared what would happen if she left._

"_Are you certain?" Elijah asked, still surprised that Klaus had even considered it an option. 'Selfless' wasn't an attribute people ever associated with his brother. That he would finally get the thing he wanted most, the woman he valued above all else, only to send her away still shocked Elijah. _

_Klaus downed the scotch before reaching for the bottle again and pouring another glass full. "I'm sure."_

* * *

Polishing off his drink, Klaus stood from the sofa in the VIP booth. His eyes followed Caroline through the crowd as she made her way over to the bar. Grinning now, Klaus slipped into the mass of writhing bodies and slid over to the bar.

Caroline was waiting patiently to catch the bartender's attention when a dark haired man about her height crept up beside her. With practiced effort, she kept from rolling her eyes. She knew how this would inevitably go. He'd spout some rather cheesy pick-up line and she'd decline his offer to buy her a drink. He'd press and push for more thinking he was being charming and she would inevitably have to throw a drink in his face to make her point.

"What's a girl like you doing at the bar alone?" The man asked, perching his hip against the bar.

This time Caroline didn't hold back her scoff or refrain from rolling her eyes. She turned her head to face the man. "Trying to enjoy a night off. **Alone**."

"I'm pretty fine company." He said with a grin that came off more sleazy than charming.

Before she could speak another voice sounded behind the man.

"If you knew what was best for you, you'd take your company elsewhere." The threatening low voice belonged to a man that clearly stood out from his surroundings. His piercing blue eyes glared at Caroline's little problem and the man walked off quickly – clearly not thinking she was worth the trouble.

The look in the new guy's eyes went from ferocious to fondness as he turned to fix his stare on her, moving closer to take the spot recently vacated by the pick-up artist. She tried to look away but something about the glint in his eyes kept her from doing so.

Caroline snapped herself out of her temporary daze and schooled her face into one of impassivity. "That wasn't necessary."

"A simple 'thank you' might be in order." The blue eyed stranger replied with a smirk that had her squirming in her heels.

Caroline tossed her hair over one shoulder and shot back with, "I can take care of myself." It was the honest to God truth. Caroline was a pro at looking out for herself – she'd certainly been at it long enough. She knew there was a time when she'd had friends that looked out for her – just like she looked out for them. But Stefan and Elena were both dead. Damon had fallen off the radar and she looked him up every once in a while but the other Salvatore wasn't really himself anymore. So much of that time was a blur to Caroline and she assumed the overwhelming grief had caused her to black it all out. The pieces never quite fit but Caroline learned not to dwell on it. All she knew was that the past was in the past and she had to move on. She couldn't go back to Mystic Falls, something was stopping her. Something was telling her that she had to live a full and fun life – that she had to see the world and all that it had to offer. The grief didn't keep her up so much at night anymore. Neither did the loneliness. Most of the time anyway.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of her mystery man speaking again but not to her.

"A white Russian for the lady, straight scotch for me." He said to the bartender who nodded before turning to mix their drinks.

Caroline was confused as to how he'd guessed her favorite drink but she didn't have time to dwell on it before he turned that sinful smirk on her again and had all her thoughts fleeing her head.

"I believe an introduction is in order. I'm Niklaus," He held out a hand, "but you can call me Klaus."

She eyed his hand for a second before sliding her palm into his. "Caroline. And thanks for the drink but you're wasting your charm on me."

"Come on, love. Won't you give a guy a chance?" His grin set her pulse racing and Caroline held back a tremble.

She looked away from him and gratefully accepted the drink the bartender slid over to her. A sip of the drink had Caroline fortifying her nerves and turning her head to face him, _Klaus,_ again. "I'm sure there are plenty of girls here who would be more than willing to give you a chance. Maybe her?" Caroline nodded her head towards the opposite end of the bar where a pretty brunette was sitting alone.

"No." Klaus replied without tearing his eyes from Caroline.

"Why? What's wrong with her?" She asked, looking back at him.

"You mean aside from the fact that she isn't you?"

Caroline felt a blush creep up her neck. She wanted to look away but that intent gaze in his eyes made it hard to look anywhere but at Klaus.

There was another moment of silence before Caroline finally pulled her gaze away, lifting her drink and taking another long sip to steady her erratic nerves. "I'm telling you buddy, it's a waste of time."

Klaus just watched her, mesmerized by every minute detail of her face. She turned to face him again, that determined look he was so familiar with on her face. Caroline no doubt thought that look would send him packing but Klaus just smirked. "Oh I don't know. I think I may just grow on you."

* * *

_There were a few moments in his very long life that Klaus remembered with startling clarity. One of those moments was the day Caroline came to him. He remembered the exact floral print sundress she had been wearing and the way the blue in it highlighted the brightness of her eyes. He remembered the way she'd worn her hair up in a ponytail, tying back all those bouncy curls that his fingers itched to set free. He remembered the light, airy scent that was 100% Caroline and drifted in behind her, filling the air with that sweet tint. He remembered the cautious look on her face paired with the slight but persistent blush that crept up her neck and onto her cheeks. Klaus remembered how she had stumbled on her words, hardly making sense at first. He remembered how her emotions had run wild, first berating him in anger before tumbling into confusion and coming out the other side determined. Klaus remembered how he pulled her to him and she'd come willingly, letting herself be cloaked by him. He remembered the feel of her lips against his for the first time, all soft and pliant then determined and devouring. He remembered the way something had simply clicked inside of him. A lot of his existence was a blur but there were a few moments, a few memories, that would always be vibrant in his mind. And that moment with Caroline, that one perfect moment that started it all, that moment played back in techni-color._

* * *

Drink in hand, Caroline nodded once at Klaus before sliding off her stool. "Well thanks for the drink. Guess we'll never know about you growing on me and all." She threw him a sarcastic smile before weaving her way back into the crowd.

Klaus laughed to himself as he watched her go. There was certainly some appeal in the idea of wooing Caroline all over again. He'd undo his compulsion when the opportune moment came. Klaus stayed at the bar and watched Caroline regroup with the girls she had arrived with. She wouldn't be leaving with them – he'd make sure of that. Seven years was a long time to deny himself and Klaus had no intention of continuing that practice for so much as another night.

It was another half hour before Caroline waved a quick goodbye to her friends and started for the door. She'd felt Klaus' eyes on her the rest of the night and although Caroline knew she should feel suspicious of him but all she felt was intrigued. That being said, she also knew trouble when she saw it and he had trouble written all over him. So instead of returning to the bar to sate her curiosity, Caroline left before succumbing to temptation.

She'd only made it down the street when she felt the presence behind her. Some men just never learned. Without glancing back over her shoulder, Caroline picked up her pace and headed towards the nearest empty alley. She didn't have to look back to know Klaus was following her. After a quick glance around at the empty street, Caroline ducked into the alley. A moment passed before Klaus appeared in front of her.

Reaching forward, Caroline grabbed him and shoved him back against the brick wall. Her fangs dropped down and spidery threads spread across her face as she snarled at him. "You should have listened when I said stay away."

Instead of the fear Caroline had been expecting, Klaus threw her a wide grin. Before she could react, he'd spun them around, pressing her back against the wall and baring his fangs.

"You," Caroline gasped out, her hands pinned against the wall beside her head.

"Yes well, I'm sure you didn't think you were the only one love." He said, his fangs retracting and his lips forming into that infuriating smirk.

Caroline hadn't encountered any vampires since leaving Mystic Falls, or if she had they certainly hadn't identified themselves. Then again, she hardly stayed in any one place long enough to make friends. Connecting the dots in her head, Caroline shoved Klaus away. He went willing, backing up to give her a bit of space.

"You clearly knew I was a vampire, back at the bar you knew my favorite drink. What are you – some kind of stalker?" She bit out, turning to leave the alley and starting to walk down the street again.

Klaus internally sighed. Truthfully, he'd been keeping very close tabs on her all these years so if someone wanted to use the word 'stalker' they wouldn't technically be wrong. But even when she wasn't with him, Caroline was his and so what other people might consider stalking, Klaus merely looked at as taking absolute care of what was his. He followed her down the street, keeping pace beside her.

"Come now, love, 'stalker' seems a bit unfair."

Caroline stopped walking and turned to stare at him. "Okay, so who are you?"

"I'm a…friend." Klaus said lightly, though he was a hell of a lot more than just a friend and he really wanted nothing more than to prove that to her right here out on the street.

Caroline shook her head and started walking again. "I don't have any friends."

"Well that was bound to change eventually." Klaus replied, walking beside her again. "And as a friend, I think you need to feed."

He'd seen it in her eyes when she changed. Caroline wasn't taking very good care of herself and that set a ball of rage building in the pit of his stomach. Not only was she not feeding properly but she was clearly making a habit of walking in sketchy neighborhoods alone at night. Klaus knew Caroline was perfectly capable of defending herself but the thought of her wandering streets alone like this made him livid. But he was back now so this would stop.

"How would you know I need to feed?" Caroline asked, not slowing her walk.

"I simply know." Was Klaus' response. "Join me for a meal?" He asked, teasing her with that slow smirk.

She still didn't slow her walk but Caroline contemplated his offer as they moved down the street. For the most part, Caroline didn't feed off of humans. Blood bags and bunnies was generally how she kept herself fuelled, even if it wasn't as fun or delicious. She knew she only fed this way because of Stefan. He'd been the one to teach her, took her under his wing when she'd been lost and confused. Caroline always thought feeding from humans, treating them like nothing more than food, would be a slight to his memory. And she did a lot to keep Stefan's memory alive. Most days remembering him didn't hurt too much. Some days it did.

"Well I guess I know what kind of vampire you are now. Unlike you, I have respect for human life." Caroline said sternly, throwing him a sardonic look.

Klaus rolled his eyes but smiled. His Caroline hadn't changed. But contrary to what she was suggesting, she did use to feed on humans. They did it together. They'd found a way to compromise and Klaus called forth the same solution they'd used all those years ago. "Respect human life if you must but they aren't all good now are they? You've done a spectacular job of leading us into a sufficiently dangerous looking neighborhood. I'm sure we'll happen upon someone up to no good soon enough."

Caroline looked around at the empty, quiet streets and considered what he was suggesting. Would it really be the worst thing if she fed off some lowlife rapist or thief?

"And that's what you do?" She asked, curious now. "Feed exclusively on the corrupt?"

Klaus threw back his head and laughed. That was all the answer Caroline needed.

"Well, I suppose I could consider it." She said offhandedly with a shrug. The truth was she was pretty hungry and Klaus made it clear he had no intention of leaving her alone. If he was going to feed anyway, and on someone who had it coming, then there was no real harm done. Stefan would approve – or at the very least, he wouldn't _disapprove. _

Turns out they didn't have to go looking for trouble because trouble found them. A man in his late twenties dressed in a torn hoodie and loose jeans approached them hunched over.

"Mmm, looks delicious." Klaus leaned over to whisper in her ear, sending shivers racing down her spine.

He watched the affect his proximity had on Caroline and Klaus couldn't stop the sense of satisfaction that overtook him. Even if she didn't remember him, her body certainly did.

"Wallet and keys." The gruff voice said as the hooded man came to a stop in front of them.

"Come again?" Klaus asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Give me your fucking wallets and keys." The man pulled a gun out and waved it in their faces.

Klaus ignored the weapon and turned to Caroline with a smile. "Ladies first." He gestured forward.

Without thinking about it any longer, Caroline rushed forward and had the man pressed back against the closest building. She didn't waste any time, turning his head to the side and sinking her teeth in.

Klaus watched Caroline feed and felt his entire body harden at the sight. She really was glorious, her shiny hair fanning out in the wind as she drank from the man. When she pulled away, blood dripped down her chin and Klaus fought the urge to pull her to him and lap it up with his tongue. Her eyes, dark from the change, were filled with that voracious, predatory look that set Klaus' blood on fire. Nothing compared to watching Caroline feed – watching her in her natural element as a vampire, not fighting it but reveling in it.

"Your turn." She said with a smile, shoving the now limp mugger over to him.

Still grinning at her, Klaus dropped his fangs before sinking his teeth into their would-be assailant. When he was done he shoved the man away, his back hitting the brick building side again.

"I'll take care of it." Caroline said, stepping forward to compel him.

As she worked her magic, Klaus was thrust back to the day he had let her go.

* * *

_Caroline was finally sitting up again. It'd been almost two weeks since Stefan had died, three since Elena had gone. Bonnie had been swallowed up by the darkness and joined team Silas. Damon had been destroyed by grief and disappeared. She didn't have any fight left in her but she mustered up the energy to leave the bedroom for the first time in days. She could feel Klaus' eyes on her as she drank from the blood bag, the first bit of sustenance she'd had in days. _

_It was a start, Klaus thought, she was eating again. She was up and she was moving around. But she was still broken. And she was still in danger. There could be no more putting it off – it was time for Klaus to stand by his decision. _

"_Caroline." He held out a hand to her and she joined him willingly, sinking down beside him on the couch. _

_He relished the moment for a while, having Caroline curled up in his side. Klaus tried to commit the feel of her to memory so that when he was alone at night, he could call on her phantom touch. Placing a finger beneath her chin, Klaus tilted her head back so that she stared up at him. The pain he saw in her eyes was like a wrecking ball to his chest. The thing about loving Caroline was that everything she felt, Klaus felt tenfold. When she was happy, he was ecstatic. When she was sad, he was desolate. And this, this kind of pain, it was destroying her and it was killing him. Klaus wished he could take her pain away. Strip it all away so that her eyes would return to their former glowing glory. But to take away her pain, he'd have to take away her love for her friends and that wasn't something Klaus could do. But what he could do was protect her. _

_Klaus used his thumb to caress her cheek, her other hand buried in her hair. His eyes drank in the sight of her one last time before pulling her into a breathless kiss. He sipped slowly at her lips and then grazed them lightly with his teeth, nipping with just enough force so they tingled. Then he licked over the seam of her mouth, gently coaxing her until she opened and allowed him entrance. When he finally managed to pull away, Klaus could still feel the luscious softness of her lips against his, could still taste her on his tongue. He'd likely never forget the way Caroline tasted on his lips or the way she felt in his arms. But she **would **forget. She **had** to forget. _

* * *

When she was done compelling the thieving lowlife, Caroline shoved him away and watched as he stumbled, still disoriented, down the street. She had to admit that felt good. Not even a warm blood bag could compare to the taste of sweet, fresh blood coursing directly from the vein. It was like drinking Bordeaux after only having cheap boxed wine. It was exhilarating and thrilling – though if Caroline was honest with herself those emotions stemmed a lot more from being with Klaus. Still having no idea who he was, Caroline logically knew she should probably fear him or be wary of him at the very least, but something about him just kept pulling her in. Trying to walk away from him would be like trying to swim against the tide.

"That was amazing." She said breathlessly, swiping the blood on her chin up with her thumb and sucking it into her mouth.

Klaus watched the innocuous action, his dick hardening at the sight of her sucking on her thumb. "Yes, it was." He said, though he was talking more about watching _her _feed than the actual feed itself.

"Maybe you were right about you growing on me." She said with a teasing smile and a shrug.

"You have no idea." Klaus said, rushing forward at vampire speed and pressing Caroline back against the brick building.

His eyes locked on hers in an intense stare and Caroline sucked in a deep, albeit unnecessary, breath. Something about him felt familiar. It was why she couldn't bring herself to be afraid or to walk away. There was something there and her mind was racing a mile a minute trying desperately to stitch the pieces together.

"Who are you?" She asked in a whisper, her breath racing across his face.

Cocking his head to the side, Klaus watched her in continued silence. His eyes darted all along her face, his arms trapping her between his body and the wall. Klaus had waited for this moment for seven long years. Dreamt of her nightly and pined for her daily.

"Caroline," he spoke softly, nuzzling his nose briefly in her hair and inhaling her scent before locking his eyes on hers again, "I need you to remember. Everything."

For the rest of her life, Caroline would never be able to explain what that moment felt like. That entire part of her past, the part that she had struggled so valiantly to make sense of, suddenly became overwhelmingly clear. Klaus. Pieces of the puzzle were clicking into place faster than she could comprehend them. It was like she could literally feel her brain stitching itself back together. It was overpowering and confusing and draining. She'd spent seven years knowing that something was missing but not knowing what. Now that she knew – it was all too much to take in at once.

Klaus saw the light bulb go off in her head. He saw that moment where it clicked, when everything fell into place. That spark of recognition in her eyes hit him squarely in the chest and after all this time, there was no way he'd be able to resist her. His lips came crashing down on hers. His mouth melted over hers, hot and breathless and ravenous. Caroline didn't move, didn't pull away. She didn't actively pull him to her either. She went soft against him, swaying further into his embrace as he deepened the kiss. Klaus poured what felt like a lifetime of craving and desperation into the heated kiss. His tongue brushed over hers, teasing softly before retreating. He licked over her plump bottom lip and then tugged gently, sucking it between his teeth. It was a moment before Caroline fully registered what was happening and pushed him away.

She shoved at his chest until Klaus backed up throwing her a confused look.

"Caroline?" He said her name softly, searching her eyes for what could be wrong.

She let out a disbelieving laugh, bringing a hand up to clutch her chest. Her mind was still spinning. Everything was still spinning. She just needed to get away.

Mind still racing and nerves still tingling, Caroline pushed herself off the wall and began walking.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" Klaus darted in front of her, concern evident in his voice. What if there was a problem with the compulsion? What if she didn't remember? The possibility was enough to have Klaus' heart drop into his stomach. No, she had to remember. He couldn't live with the alternative.

"Caroline, talk to me please." He put his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"No!" She shouted, stepping back and pushing his hands away. "You don't get to come back and have everything be okay! You don't get to fill my head with these memories and expect me to come running into your arms!" Caroline's arms swung wildly and it took her a second to realize the moisture on her face were her tears. "I needed you! I lost everyone and I needed you to be there for me! Not to erase my memories. Not to banish me from my hometown. I needed _you_."

Klaus stepped back, stunned. "I did it for you. I did it to keep you safe." He tried to explain. He'd assumed that much would be clear. Silas had taken her friends, Klaus couldn't let him take Caroline too. But he wasn't a threat anymore. They'd dealt with him and the first thing Klaus had done was come to collect Caroline. He had seven years of deprivation to make up for.

"Bullshit!" Caroline shouted, shoving at him. "That wasn't your call to make. That was _never _your call to make." Tears were gushing down her face as she shoved at him continuously, desperate for any way to hurt him the way he was hurting her.

"Caroline, please –" Klaus began but she cut him off, backing away again and wiping tears from her face.

"Don't. Just don't." Her shoulders shook lightly as she tried desperately to collect herself. It was another moment before the tears slowed and her face shifted into one of steely determination. "Stay. Away. From. Me." She spoke slowly before turning on her heel and walking away.

Seven years of waiting. Of watching and dreaming and pining. Seven years and Klaus stood by helplessly as he lost her all over again.


	34. The One Where He Plays With Her

**The One Where He Plays With Her**

_**Very OOC Caroline. Takes place in the future. **_

"Her."

Caroline whispered the word in Klaus' ear and he felt his entire body tense, a shiver racing down his spine. Her teeth nibbled on his earlobe, her hot breath dancing across Klaus' stubble covered jaw. His arm around her waist tightened, pulling Caroline tighter against his side.

Klaus' eyes locked on the blonde girl Caroline had nodded towards. She was tall and leggy, a dismissive look on her face as she scanned the crowd.

"Are you sure, love? She looks…acidic." Klaus said, tilting his head to the side as he observed the woman.

Caroline just laughed lightly into his ear, setting his blood boiling again. "Trust me, she'll be mouthwatering."

Klaus didn't need much convincing anyway. This was Caroline's game – he just played along. He looked away from the woman and back at Caroline, a smirk on his face. "As you wish, sweetheart."

Caroline shot him that slow grin she'd mastered over the years, his dick hardening at the sight.

"Wait." She said, pulling Klaus back by his jacket just as he started to walk away.

Caroline's arms wrapped around his neck just as her lips came down hard on his. Klaus' mouth was hard, and yet his lips were soft, pressing, tasting, coaxing – all with familiar ease. She felt the smooth slide of his tongue against the closed seam of her lips and her arms clenched tighter around his neck as her mouth opened up to Klaus. The kiss deepened as he devoured her with erotic aggression, the constrained energy in his body tunneling into her and lighting her on fire through the shifting contact of their mouths. Klaus' chest pressed hard against her, his hands splayed possessively over her lower back. His tongue stroked along hers in a wicked caress, their mouths toying with each other in a way they'd perfected a long time ago. Teeth nipped at her lower lip, only to soothe it in the same moment and Caroline bit back, moving her arms to rake her hands down his back.

Klaus hissed, finally pulling away. "Careful love, I may drag you out of here sooner than you'd like."

Caroline just smirked, nipping once more at his lower lip before shoving him away.

Klaus turned and strode over to the bar where the blonde woman stood, her fingers tapping on the countertop. He came to a stop in front of her and, as he always did, Klaus immediately began to mentally list the ways that she was inferior to Caroline. Her blonde hair hung limply down to her shoulders – it lacked the bright color and silky texture of Caroline's blonde curls. Her eyes, a hazel like brown, were leagues beneath Caroline's sparkling blue gaze. She didn't have Caroline's luscious curves or pert breasts. She didn't have her perfectly shaped coral lips or demure little button nose. Despite all of this, Klaus posted on his trademark smirk and came to a stop in front of their prey.

Caroline leaned back against the bannister and watched Klaus with a coy half smile on her face. Arguably, things would be much easier if they used compulsion on their feeds but Caroline had tired of that years ago. What was the point of all the magnetism and seductiveness that came with being a vampire if you didn't use it? Compulsion was too easy. Too boring. But drawing someone in with gentle touches and glinting eyes, having someone give themselves over to you willingly – well that made it all the more enjoyable when you watched the life drain from their eyes.

Caroline waited a few more minutes before easing through the crowd toward the bar. When she reached the two, she locked eyes with Klaus over the blonde's shoulder. He returned her gaze with a smirk and the blonde turned around to see what Klaus was looking at.

"Is this her?" The blonde asked, her eyes perusing Caroline.

Caroline didn't wait for Klaus to respond. She stepped closer to the blonde, reaching a hand up to toy with a strand of the other girl's hair. "I'm her." Caroline heard the woman's breath catch in her throat and smirked, moving closer to her. "Not what you expected?"

The woman looked from Klaus to Caroline and back again, visibly swallowing and drawing their attention to her lean neck.

"Just you two right?" She asked softly, a shudder racing down her spine.

Caroline arched an eyebrow and threw her a smirk before turning on her heel and walking toward the door, pulling the girl along behind her. Eyes locked on Caroline's retreating form, Klaus followed close behind.

It wasn't until they were seated in the back of a cab that Caroline turned to face their new friend who sat between them. She ran her fingers through the girl's hair before moving her face closer and locking eyes with her.

"No screaming." She muttered softly before her fangs dropped.

Klaus watched on in fascination as Caroline's teeth sunk into the girl's neck. Even after all these years, this sight still had the ability to do phenomenal things to him. Klaus was fairly certain he'd never tire of watch Caroline feed. Her curved little fangs never missed their mark, sinking into the vein with remarkable precision. Then there was the way her plump, dewy lips sucked at the skin – the blood darkening her pink tinted mouth. When Caroline pulled away, a solitary drop of blood trailed down her chin. Klaus scooped the drop up with his thumb before sucking it into his mouth.

Caroline threw him a grin that could really only be described as ravenous. "You know I hate to dine alone." She lifted the girl's wrist and held it out to Klaus.

Without looking away from Caroline, Klaus took the proffered wrist and lifted it to his mouth before sinking his fangs in. They sliced through the skin like knife through butter and blood started to pool in his mouth. Caroline watched him for a moment longer before biting into the girl's neck again.

By the time they reached their home, Caroline was fully sated. Not that hunger had been an issue to begin with. She wasn't on the prowl because she was hungry; she was the prowl because she was bored. With long, seductive strides Caroline walked up the steps to the house, still pulling the dazed girl along behind her.

Klaus followed closely behind, a wicked grin on his face. He loved to watch Caroline play. They'd walked to the end of the hall before Caroline swung a door open and disappeared inside, tugging the dazed blonde in behind her. Before Klaus could follow suit, Elijah appeared behind him.

"Another one?" He asked, disapproval clear in his voice.

With a laugh, Klaus turned to face his brother. "She was bored." He said, waving his arms out as if that should be explanation enough.

Elijah looked from the door to Klaus and back again. He'd never been inside but he had a fairly good idea of what went on on the other side of that door. Caroline's little den of iniquity. A room devoted to all her hedonistic pleasures – and Elijah didn't doubt that she had many.

"And you're okay with this? The harem she's collecting in there." Elijah nodded toward the closed door.

Klaus just shrugged, locking his hands behind his back. If it made Caroline happy then it invariably made him happy. Did he miss the light Caroline of decades ago? Sometimes. But this Caroline, _his_ Caroline, she was magnificent. Maybe it was his doing – maybe he had been responsible for blackening her soul. Maybe time had done that – maybe this was who she was supposed to be. Before he could give Elijah an actual answer the door swung open and Caroline popped out.

Behind her, Elijah caught sight of a dozen or so women. Some were dancing, others were splayed on the couches. All of them had clear bite marks that still dripped blood – on their necks, stomachs, arms. It didn't surprise Elijah in the least that there were no men in sight. Klaus and Caroline had tried to bring a male home once. It had ended with Klaus tearing the man's throat out within five minutes of entering the house. That had been the end of that. And contrary to what Elijah had initially assumed, neither Caroline nor Klaus were sleeping with any of these women. Caroline simply liked to keep them as pets. An endless supply of blood and entertainment. If she thought a girl was pretty, or intriguing or appealing in the slightest way then Caroline would begin her game. Some people collected stamps, other people collected cards. Caroline collected pretty, young things.

And she didn't do any of this because her humanity switch was turned off. No, Caroline was perfectly capable of feeling emotions. She felt love for Klaus – an abundance of it even, so much so it sometimes overwhelmed her just how much she loved him. And she certainly felt loyalty to Rebekah and Elijah. Caroline was perfectly capable of feeling. But in the last century she'd learned a lot about life and death. About predators and prey. About boredom. When you lived for this long, you had to find new ways of entertaining yourself. She had no idea how Klaus managed it.

"What's going on out here?" Caroline asked, looking between the two Mikaelsons with a small half smile.

Klaus grinned. "Elijah's come to spoil your fun."

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows and feigned displeasure to which Elijah just scoffed.

"If nothing else, perhaps you could consider the possibility that you've collected one too many mouths to feed." He said, brushing non-existent dust off his immaculate suit.

Caroline frowned and pretended to think for a moment. "You're right. It _is _getting a little crowded in there." She leaned back into the room and scanned for a moment before speaking again. "Heather, come here please."

A small brunette girl bounced out of the room and came to stand in front of Caroline, her eyes a little glazed and a trail of blood marking her neck.

Putting both hands on Heather's shoulders, Caroline leaned forward to lock eyes with the shorter girl. "Heather, you're free now," she brought a hand to the girl's brown hair and idly stroked it, her tone one that someone might use when speaking to a toddler, "but in exactly three minutes, I'm going to start drinking from you. And I won't stop until you're dead." With that she let go and stepped back.

Panic filled Heather's eyes before the girl let out a scream and began running. Flight. Caroline enjoyed it when they chose to fight but there was infinite more pleasure to be had in flight. She swore the prolonged fear made their blood taste sweeter.

"Aren't we above playing with our food?" Elijah asked, shooting her a sardonic look.

Caroline just arched an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall. "You know, when I was a kid my dad used to take me hunting. Taught me how to track an animal through the woods. When to wait – when to pounce. I outgrew our little hunting trips by middle school but I don't know," she gave a cheeky shrug, "I think I may get back into it."

Elijah and Caroline stared at each other for another moment but before he could speak again, Caroline pushed herself off the wall and broke the silent standoff. "Well would you look at that, Heather's time is up."

Caroline whizzed away, her intoxicating scent wavering in the air even after she'd gone.

Elijah turned to face his brother again and Klaus just shrugged, that knowing smirk in place.

"This many girls keep going missing and she'll raise suspicions." Elijah pointed out.

"What do you propose I do about it?" Klaus asked, more as a formality than any real intent to _do _anything about it.

"Control her."

Klaus threw his head back and laughed. "The way you control Katherine?"

Both men knew there was nothing that could be done to control their significant others. Not only could the brothers not tell the girls what to do, but more often than not, they were so wrapped around their fingers, desperate to cater to Caroline and Katherine's every little whim, that it was the Mikaelsons who were being controlled.

"Now if you'll excuse me, Elijah." Klaus walked around his brother, heading in the direction Caroline had gone.

It hadn't been hard to track Heather down. The house was huge but Caroline followed Heather's scent, now masked over with the distinct scent of fear, and found the tiny girl cowering in one of the libraries. By the time Klaus joined her, Heather was already dead. Caroline sat, straddling the girl, eyes closed, head thrown back to the ceiling and a euphoric look on her face. A single line of blood began at the corner of her lip and trailed down her chin. Klaus leaned against the door frame and just watched her – his lover, his queen, his mate. 100% his. Time hadn't lessened the possessiveness he felt over Caroline. If anything, it had augmented it.

"What're you thinking?" Caroline asked, finally dragging herself to her feet.

"About how magnificent you are. And about how you're all mine." Klaus spoke slowly as he walked further into the room.

"Yours, huh?" She asked with a low laugh, sliding her shirt slowly over her head before tossing it to the side.

"You know you are." Klaus practically growled, stepping closer to her.

Caroline undid the button of her jeans and rolled her hips a little as she tugged them down. "I could use a reminder."

With an animalistic growl, Klaus lunged forward. He tugged her into his arms and his lips came down on hers in a heated kiss. A hard, deep kiss that had her moaning and writhing shamelessly against him as her hands gripped his shoulders and her hips rocked forward. Klaus groaned, a rough, desperate sound as his lips covered hers, his arm wrapped around Caroline's waist and clasping her to him. Her body reacting instinctively, Caroline moved against him, feeling the wedge of his dick behind his jeans, pressing against her lower stomach. Racing, desperate, clawing lust overwhelmed Caroline as her body slid against his. She arched her back, pressing her breasts closer to Klaus' chest. A familiar sizzling heat bloomed in her belly and streaked to her clit, her pussy, her swelling breasts.

Caroline's hands roamed wildly, sliding up his chest, his strong neck, gripping the back of his head as his hands arched her closer, lifting her until he could grind his thick erection between her legs. Wanting to feel his bare skin against hers, she tugged off his jacket before pulling his shirt over his head. Before Klaus, Caroline hadn't really understood what it meant to be desperate for someone's touch.

In one swift movement, Klaus lifted her in his arms and strode over to the nearby couch (stepping over Heather's lifeless body) and laid Caroline down. She watched with greedy eyes as he shed his jeans and Klaus relished her perusal of his naked form. Within seconds he was moving over her, his body hard and hot. His knees parted her legs as his lips raced along her jaw, then her neck. Ravenous lips moved to her swelling breasts, where he kissed and licked with delicate greed before consuming the tender point of her nipple with a hungry mouth. Caroline shuddered at the surge of euphoric pleasure that tore through her. Electrifying shards of sensation tore from her sensitive nipple to between her legs; it clenched tight as her clit began to throb with excitement and anticipation.

Even after decades of this, being with Klaus was the most amazing feeling. He had a way with her body – made her feel as though the thinnest of nerve endings connected her nipples, her pussy, her clit and every other erogenous zone on her body. Each tug of his mouth at the swollen tip of her breast caused a surge of heat to travel below, shaking her with the force of the pleasure bolting through her.

"I'll never tire of this." Klaus groaned, echoing Caroline's earlier thoughts as her fingers curled around the thick length between his thighs.

"I hope not." She could barely force the words past her kiss swollen lips as he moved to her other breast and drew that neglected nipple into his mouth.

Caroline arched up into his touch, a cry ripping from her throat as the need became almost painful. She felt Klaus' calloused palms stroking her belly and Caroline parted her legs, praying for that tormenting touch to work its way lower to the flesh between her thighs. Her pussy throbbed in unbearable need, the ache taking root deep in her belly and blooming with heat as his fingers slid languidly into the narrow slit between the folds of flesh.

"Klaus!" She cried out his name to the ceiling as he slowly circled her clit, never quite giving her the touch she needed as his lips began to move down her body.

Caroline watched with half-lidded eyes as Klaus slid between her thighs, pushing her legs wide, his hands pressing beneath her ass to cup it and lift her to him. The first touch of his lips made her whole body rigid, and a ragged moan erupted from her chest. His soft lips circled her clit, drew it inside, and then proceeded to drive her insane as he began to suck at the tender, little bud. Klaus took his time, lavishing that bundle of nerves with attention. His tongue stroked over it, around it. Klaus knew Caroline's body better than he knew his own and he played it like a fine tuned instrument. Each calculated touch was never firm enough, never fast enough to send her careening over the edge of release that she could feel just out of her reach. Klaus continued to suck at her clit until Caroline was a wrecking ball of nerves, the waves of pleasure tearing through her as she writhed beneath the delicious destruction his mouth and tongue created. Her heightened senses were whirling with the intensity of sensations. Finally, in a blaze of glorious sensation, a hazy white-hot heat she couldn't resist, pleasure exploded inside her and sent her flying, as a strangled cry tore from her throat.

"You're exquisite." Klaus' voice washed over her as his hands smoothed along her sides, his soft lips moving up her stomach to her breasts.

By the time his lips reached hers, the need was burning inside her again. When Klaus pulled his lips away from hers, Caroline opened her eyes to stare up at him. She loved the way Klaus looked at her with that insatiable, sensual hunger clear as day on his face. That look was almost as arousing as his touches. The sheer desperate lust, the tightening of his handsome features, the heaviness about his full lips, the reckless abandon in his eyes, the drop of sweat that eased along his face. The combination was like a heavy hit of aphrodisiac that coursed through her system.

Caroline was still admiring the look on his face when she felt the head of his dick stroke her wet folds. She let out a low moan, her hands gripping his hard shoulders as he pressed closer, his hips shifting and burying another few inches inside her. Caroline dragged her nails down his back and Klaus let out a long hiss. Her hips arched up, her toned legs wrapping around his hips as she twisted beneath him, reaching desperately for more. Finally Klaus plunged forward, burying his dick to the hilt. The delicious burn in Caroline's belly grew, intensifying as he drew back once before surging forward again with a hard, blinding thrust.

With lust clouded eyes, Caroline stared up at him, relishing the expression of heightening pleasure as it tightened his face. Klaus began to fuck her with deep, heavy strokes that had pleasure escalating inside her, whipping across her still sensitive nerve endings. Pulling Klaus closer, Caroline tightened her legs around his hip. Rocking her hips to the stroke and drive of his, she let out another loud moan. Feeling the tingling sensations coursing through her veins, Caroline gave herself over to her second orgasm. Her body clenched around him, the delicate muscles gripped and milked his dick as each of his final thrusts became harder, impaling her with heated hunger as the familiar explosions began to detonate through her body. With a body wracking shudder of his own, Klaus delivered a few final thrusts before collapsing on top of her.

They lay like this, sweaty bodies entangled, for a while – Klaus running an idle hand through Caroline's messy curls and wondering when he'd next take his magnificent queen out to play.


	35. The One Where He Returns to Her: Part 2

**The One Where He Returns to Her: Part Deux_. _**_Smut warning. _

For the fourth night in a row Caroline shot up, sweaty and panting, in her bed. She held a hand to her chest as her head cleared, reality pushing the dreams away. Not dreams – memories, Caroline reminded herself. Memories that had been taken away from her for the last seven years. When she slept at night, the visions in her head weren't all the same. Sometimes she saw herself lying with Klaus on a sofa, soft words being whispered in her ear. Other times she saw them both wrapped up in each other, sweaty limbs entangled as he thrust into her. There were times when she saw herself fighting with him and times when she saw him making it up to her. When she was awake, Caroline tried to bury the memories – shove them back into whatever corner they'd been pulled from until she was ready to deal with them one by one. But when she was asleep there was no stopping the flood.

Glancing at her clock, Caroline saw that it was thirty minutes before her usual rising time. She quickly decided it wasn't worth the risk of going back to sleep and facing the bombardment of memories, so instead climbed out of the bed with a huff. Going through her regular morning routine, Caroline tried to keep her mind blank. She didn't want to think about everything that had happened over the course of the last four days.

One of the hardest parts was having no one to vent to. Stefan and Elena were dead and Damon and Bonnie had both been AWOL ever since. Although, memories of her time with him weren't the only ones Klaus had restored. Caroline remembered growing close to Rebekah. She remembered the way Elijah had looked out for her. But it wasn't as if she could turn to either of them now – not given what their brother had done.

So Caroline was on her own, just like she had been for the last seven years.

Klaus sat in the corner of the café and watched as Caroline placed her order. It was the same every morning. She'd go for a run along the same trail, stop in at the same coffee shop and place the same order – grande decaf dry with two sugars. She'd sit at the same table and flip through the same magazines. Klaus knew this because he'd been watching her like a hawk for the last four days, since she'd walked away from him that night. It took centuries worth of accrued restraint to keep from approaching her. Every moment Klaus struggled to maintain his distance, lurk in the shadows. If he could have things his way, he'd be sitting pressed up beside Caroline right now. She'd be looking at him and not those insipid magazines. She'd get her morning workout with him in bed instead of going for a run.

But she was hurt and that was something Klaus understood. He didn't regret his decision, not in the least. Klaus would do whatever it took to keep Caroline safe, even if it meant he couldn't have her. Even if it meant she would hate him. And though it was hard to keep his distance, it was ten times harder to see Caroline suffering. When he'd thought of her over the past seven years (and there wasn't a day that went by that Klaus hadn't thought of Caroline), he hadn't pictured she'd be so…lonely. Klaus knew from his sources that she moved around from place to place a lot – never staying anywhere long enough to make any true friends.

But she wouldn't be lonely for much longer, Klaus vowed. Caroline was still raw and he'd give her the space to come to terms with what he had done but then he was going after her and never relenting until she gave him a second chance.

When Caroline got back to her house she immediately raced toward the shower. It wasn't until she was standing beneath the steaming spray that the vision hit her. Her and Klaus in a glass shower with the panels steamed. Hot water beating down on their bodies, sliding down the thin crevices between them. Her head was thrown back as Klaus ran his lips down her neck.

Snapping back to reality, Caroline quickly climbed out of the shower. As she toweled off, Caroline resigned herself to that fact that even when she was awake, she wouldn't be able to escape the flood of memories. What she needed was a change. Something to take her mind off of things. She needed to get away.

Fifteen minutes later, Caroline found herself wandering around her house. The quaint little one-story place in a nice Boston neighborhood had just begun to feel like home. Part of her would be sad to leave. But Caroline needed to be excited about something again. She needed a new, fresh city. Another new, fresh start. Maybe she'd go abroad again. Europe seemed appealing right about now. Or maybe she'd pay a visit to South America.

Klaus threw one last glance at Caroline's house before putting his car in drive. He'd seen to it that she'd gotten home okay (or at least that's why he told himself he'd followed her home when in reality he knew Caroline was perfectly capable of taking care of herself), but Klaus couldn't very well stay parked across the street from her house all day. It didn't matter that he'd most likely be back again later that evening, just hoping to catch another glimpse of her.

But before Klaus could pull out of his parking spot, he caught sight of Caroline exiting her house. What stopped him in his tracks was the suitcase she pulled behind her. Climbing out of his car, Klaus watched as Caroline popped her trunk and threw the suitcase in. She was shutting the trunk just as he made it across the street and looked up to catch his eye.

"Seriously?! You're still here?" Caroline threw him an incredulous look, waving her hands in the air.

Klaus came to a stop right in front of her, ignoring her question. Of course he was still here. She was here and there was nothing standing in their way now so where else would he be? "Taking a little trip, love?"

Caroline just huffed before spinning on her heel and heading back towards her house. "I don't see how that's any of your business." She tossed over her shoulder as she jogged up the porch stairs.

Mindless of any onlookers, Klaus dashed in front of Caroline at vampire speed, coming between her and the front door. "And where is it that we're going?"

"You're delusional if you think there's a '**we**'" she said, shoving Klaus aside.

He went willingly, standing off to the side as Caroline swung the door open and waltzed inside.

"You know me well enough to know I won't give up on you." Klaus shot back, letting himself into her house.

"Oh really? Because up until four days ago, I wasn't aware that I knew you at all." Caroline snapped, spinning around to face him with her arms crossed over her chest.

Klaus felt his heart constrict a little and stepped closer to Caroline as he spoke. "You know me better than anyone."

"Well clearly you don't know me." Caroline snorted. "Because if you had, you would have known that compelling my memories away was the absolute last thing I would have ever wanted you to do."

"You're wrong about that." Klaus said, inching closer and praying that she wouldn't retreat. "I do know you. And I did know that this wouldn't be what you wanted. But I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Caroline. Because there is nothing more important to me than your safety."

She let out another disbelieving snort. "Tell yourself whatever you need to to sleep at night but get the hell out of my house."

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetheart." Klaus took another step closer, their shoes touching now.

Caroline stood her ground, tilting her head back a little to glare up at him. "What part of I want nothing to do with you are you failing to understand. Whatever we had before is gone. You made sure of that when you wiped my memory clean."

"You aren't the only one who suffered, Caroline!" Klaus growled, growing impatient. "You spent seven years in blissful ignorance –"

Caroline quickly cut him off. "Blissful ignorance?! There was a gaping hole in my life!"

Klaus continued on as if she hadn't interrupted. "I spent that time knowing. Remembering. Every little kiss, every little touch, every little moment. I relived them again and again, Caroline. Not remembering isn't the worst thing. For seven years I tormented myself, remembering what I once had - what I didn't have anymore."

"That was your choice!" Caroline shouted. "I didn't have a choice! You took that away!"

"You'll have to forgive me one day, love." Klaus said, his eyes locked on hers. "I won't stop until you do."

"Just. Get. Out." Caroline spoke slowly, gritting her teeth.

Klaus knew she was livid. He knew she hated him right now. He knew this wasn't the opportune moment. But his eyes were glued to her sweet bow of a mouth and he felt the moment his restraint snapped. It'd been too long since he'd had a taste of those perfect, pink lips. He could still remember their sweet taste, like wild strawberries. Klaus' mind went blank and all he could think of was that he wanted one tiny, little taste. **Needed **it. So Klaus dipped his head to brush his lips against Caroline's.

Shocked, Caroline quickly shoved him away, lifting her hand to slap him across the face. And it felt good so she did it again, giving the other cheek the same treatment. Then she thought, why not, and shoved at his chest in frustration. As Caroline placed her hands on his chest to shove him again, Klaus reached forward, gripping her upper arms and pulling her body flush against his. There was a millisecond of nothing but heavy breathing before their lips collided.

Later Caroline would tell herself that he had initiated the kiss but the truth was it was her lips that attacked his. Her arms moved of their own volition to wrap around his neck, her fingers diving into his hair. Arousal erupted within her, radiating out to tingle her limbs. Her lips softened, her eyelids went heavy, and Caroline molded against his body. Taking control of the kiss, Klaus took her softly parted lips under his and thrust them apart with the forceful onslaught of his. The sweet, unbearably exhilarating invasion of his tongue into the moist interior of her mouth had Caroline's entire body tightening. All of a sudden her whole body was alive and on fire - throbbing with nearly painful anticipation.

Klaus savored the feel of those petal-soft lips beneath his and wrapped his arms tighter around Caroline, their bodies pressed so close together he could feel her tight little nipples through her shirt. The jut of his hips against hers had his stiff length brushing against Caroline in the most delicious way. Still rocking his body against hers, Klaus lifted one hand away from Caroline's back to cup her face before trailing down her neck.

Klaus caressed her neck as he continued to kiss her. He couldn't even break apart to talk so he murmured into her mouth. "Where's the bedroom?"

"Down the hall." She muttered back between frenzied kisses.

In one swift motion, Klaus lifted Caroline in his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist. He strode down the hall, kicking open the first door he saw and thanking his lucky stars that it was the right room. Lowering Caroline onto the bed, Klaus pulled his shirt over his head before landing on top of her. His hands caressed her hips before pulling her shirt over her head.

Sucking in a deep breath, Klaus took a moment to drink in the sight of Caroline half naked in front of him. He didn't get to admire for as long as he would have liked when she tugged him back down to crush her lips against his. When he finally pulled his mouth away from hers, Klaus trailed his lips along Caroline's smooth neck, relishing the way she quivered beneath him.

Klaus had never forgotten what it was like to be with Caroline. He remembered what it felt like to kiss her lips, to taste the smooth skin of her shoulders and breasts, to stroke his fingers along the most intimate parts of her body. But the memories didn't hold a candle to the reality.

Klaus moved slowly down Caroline's trembling body. He cupped her full breasts in his palms, dipping his head so that he could suck one taut little nipple into his mouth. The effect on Caroline was such an agonizingly pleasurable sensation that she could only gasp and writhe against his determined mouth. He slid his hands away from her breasts and under her waist so that she was arched even more up towards him, a willing offering for him to take. With feverish excitement, Caroline wound her fingers tightly through his soft hair. Instead of shutting her eyes, she looked down at him as he explored her breasts with his lips and tongue, watched with mounting heat as his head moved between them, pleasuring first one then the other.

Wanting to feel that toned body beneath her fingertips Caroline tried to push herself up so that she could touch him as well, but Klaus was having none of it. He pinned her to the bed as his mouth explored her body, reacquainting himself with all her succulent curves. Working his way further down, Klaus' mouth trailed across her stomach, dropping a few kisses there before going lower. He tugged her jeans down, carelessly tossing them aside before diving back in. Caroline groaned aloud and this time she did close her eyes as his hands moved to slide under her bottom, levering her up so that he could nuzzle his face between her legs. She moaned and then sucked in her breath sharply when Klaus stopped nuzzling and started exploring her sopping wet core with his tongue and teeth.

Her eyes shot open to watch him – making the experience that much more unbearably erotic.

It'd been too long since Klaus had tasted Caroline like this and he had every intention of taking his time. He licked at her with long, perfect strokes, loving the little wanton gasps that escaped Caroline's mouth. Her stomach was already all aflutter when Klaus sucked her clit into his mouth. Caroline's hips shot off the bed, desperate for more. Pinning her back down, Klaus kept his pace slow, toying with that sensitive, little bundle of nerves. Caroline whimpered helplessly, her hands tightening in his hair and pulling his face closer. Klaus waited until she was on the brink of an orgasm before pulling back and returning to his long, slow licks. Caroline let out another long groan – equal parts pleasure and frustration.

"Please." She finally muttered in a desperate voice.

That one word was Klaus' undoing. His pace quickened and Klaus ate at her like a starving man who'd happened upon a feast. Seconds later Caroline's body tensed before shattering around him. Klaus continued to lap at her, even as after waves wracked her body, causing her to tremble and quake.

Caroline was beginning to feel the stirrings of a second orgasm when Klaus finally kissed his way back up her body and merged with her mouth. He pulled away long enough to shed his jeans before falling back against Caroline. With smooth, wolf-like movements Klaus slid atop her, linking his fingers with hers and pressing her hands down against the softness of the comforter. Her knees fell apart, and their bodies molded together, slick and hot and impossibly sweet.

Their eyes locked on each other as Klaus eased inside Caroline, slower than she could bear. Relishing the way her body was sucking him in like she needed him just as badly as he needed her, Klaus let out an animalistic groan before lowering his head to crush his lips against hers. Caroline thrashed her head and squeezed his hands, her kisses growing deeper and more frantic as she lost herself in him. Then she instinctively flexed her hips, rocking up once, and Klaus pushed the final inch to paradise.

And paradise was exactly what it was. More than that – being buried to the hilt in Caroline felt an awful lot like coming home.

"I missed you." Klaus muttered the words against her lips.

Caroline's lack of a response wasn't lost on him but he filed that away to be dealt with later.

Klaus set an erratic rhythm, speeding up and slowing down. Caroline felt a familiar burning fire build within her. Her eyes squeezed shut, and her entire focus contracted to that sweet spot where their bodies met. Her entire world turned to heat, and sensation and scent. Klaus had her body pinned flush beneath his so Caroline felt the moment when his muscles clenched, and his desire took over. He sped up and stayed there, his thrusts intent and solid as pulled almost all the way out before plunging back in. A groan started low in her throat. It grew increasingly louder and more frantic, until she cried out his name, and the world fell apart, and his body pulsed within her.

Klaus shuddered out his release before collapsing on top of her. They breathed in sync for long minutes after before he finally broke the silence.

"Caroline?" His voice seemed to come from a long way off, filtering through her hazy mind. His body was a delicious weight on top of her, and she couldn't move a muscle, including her eyelids.

"Sweetheart?"

Still Caroline remained silent, feigning sleep now. As her new found memories served, it wouldn't be the first time he'd fucked her until she passed out.

Klaus could tell Caroline was only pretending to be asleep and rolled off of her with a sigh. He supposed it had been foolish of him to hope that the worst of their problems were behind them. Deciding to go along with her charade, Klaus pulled Caroline's body closer to his until he was all but wrapped around her. If she wanted to break free then she'd have to admit to being awake and that suited Klaus just fine. When she didn't stir he settled in for the night, knowing there was no way he was moving from this spot. He'd gotten nowhere near his fill of Caroline and had every intention of lying awake all night just staring at her.

"I love you." He whispered into her hair.

Klaus could count on one hand the number of times he'd said the actual words to her in the past but he knew she needed to hear it now. Besides, absence had certainly made the heart grow fonder. He'd tell her he loved her every day from now until the end of time if it meant he never had to go another day without her.

His plan to stay awake all night proved to be undoable as Klaus finally fell asleep at around 4:00 am. When he woke up again, the clock on Caroline's bedside table was flashing 10:00 am. It took him a millisecond to register that he was alone in the bed. He sat up quickly and looked around but the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach told Klaus all he needed to know. Caroline was gone.


	36. The One Where She Pursues Him

**The One Where She Pursues Him. **_smut warning_

Like a king on his throne, Klaus reclined in his chair, eyes roving nonchalantly over the crowded bar. Lifting his glass of red wine to his lips, Klaus scanned the crowd for his next meal. The expensive red wine was sweet but his palate was craving something thicker. The hybrid standing beside Klaus caught his perusing gaze before glancing out to the crowd.

"What about her?" The hybrid asked, nodding toward a petite blonde thing nursing a martini glass. The hybrid was already starting to move forward when Klaus snapped a quick "no", freezing the other man in his tracks.

Klaus waved a hand, gesturing for the hybrid to leave him. One of his newer protégés, this particular hybrid didn't know of Klaus' little aversion to blondes. Well, all except for one. And therein lie the crux of his problem. All blondes reminded him of _her._

It had been over a decade since Klaus had last seen her. Smelled her. Touched her. And yet, Caroline still haunted his dreams. Sometimes Klaus was grateful for the visions of her that came when he slept. Other times it made him want to claw his own eyes out, dig deep and tear out the torturous memories. Memories that reminded him of what he had never had.

For a man who had it all, Klaus spent quite a good deal of time lamenting the one thing he didn't have. _Her._After leaving Mystic Falls, Klaus returned to the one place that had ever resembled something close to a home. New Orleans. Here he was a king. He had loyal subjects. Family. Power. He was feared. He was revered. But somehow it still didn't feel like enough. He had everything he'd ever wanted and it hardly mattered.

Klaus' eyes landed on a leggy brunette over by the bar and he stood, practically tasting the thick blood on his tongue already. With inbred agility, Klaus slid seamlessly through the crowd. He was a few feet away from the brunette when a flash in his peripheral vision had him freezing in his tracks. He knew those blonde curls, he'd know them anywhere. Whipping his head to the side, Klaus shoved his way through the crowd now, all earlier grace abandoned in his pursuit. His eyes raced from side to side as he neared the door but there was no sign of those familiar curls. A low growl erupted from his throat as Klaus came to a halt.

Apparently Caroline not only haunted his dreams but was now also appearing as a hallucination. Sucking in a deep breath, Klaus swore he could even smell her before turning around and heading back to the bar.

* * *

Throwing her back against the brick building, Caroline sucked in a deep breath, the cool night air filling her lungs. She didn't know what she was doing here. Well she knew what, or rather who had brought her here but now that the time had come to face the music, Caroline was overcome with anxiety.

After travelling the globe for the last decade, Caroline finally knew who she was. She'd experienced everything being a vampire had to offer and she was comfortable in her own skin in a way she'd never been in Mystic Falls. She knew who she was and she knew what she wanted. _Him_. She wanted him.

When Caroline had arrived in New Orleans, finding Klaus hadn't been nearly as hard as she had anticipated. The supernatural population in this town was off the charts and they all knew who Klaus was. The way they talked about him in hushed whispers and reverent tones was enough to send Caroline's already erratic nerves racing again. For all she knew he was a different person now – a king. Caroline didn't know what scared her more, the possibility that he had drastically changed or the possibility that he hadn't changed at all.

A witch had pointed Caroline in the direction of this bar when she asked about Klaus and she'd come here with no concrete plan for what came next. The bar was smoky and crowded but Caroline had spotted Klaus the moment she stepped inside. For a moment, she froze in her tracks and watched him weave his way through the crowd. It was almost as if the crowd was parting for him, his authority clear in his long stride. Caroline found herself struck by the sight of him. Her memories didn't do him justice.

She was just beginning to snap out of her stupor when Caroline noticed it was a gorgeous brunette Klaus was striding toward. And suddenly Caroline felt ridiculous. She shouldn't have come here expecting things to work themselves out. Too much time had passed. She wasn't the same person and neither was he.

Spinning on her heel, Caroline had raced out of the bar, pressing her back against the building once outside. She needed a moment to think. To regroup. Klaus had always had this disarming effect on her and the last decade hadn't changed that.

"You can do this." Caroline muttered to herself, watching as a couple walked past her and into the bar. "What's the worst that could happen?"

The answer rung clear in her mind. Rejection. He could easily turn her away. Caroline let out a bitter laugh at the thought. A decade ago she would have done anything to get him to leave her alone. But a decade ago Caroline was also still hiding a part of herself – that part that had always related to Klaus. Always wanted him. But she was done hiding from herself and she was definitely done hiding from him.

Taking in a final breath, Caroline straightened her shoulders, striding back into the bar before she could change her mind again.

* * *

In the back room of the bar, Klaus tore his mouth away from the brunette's neck, feeling a drop of blood trail down his chin. Lifting his hand, he ran his thumb over the stray drop before sucking it into his mouth. The girl looked up at him with dazed eyes as Klaus felt his fangs slide back up. Her wide green eyes weren't just dazed from the compulsion, they were clouded over with lust. Ten minutes ago, Klaus might have taken that look as an invitation to spread her legs and fuck her against this wall. Feeding and fucking typically went hand in hand for him. But he couldn't shake his vision from earlier – those bouncing blonde curls. His imagination filled in the rest- that angelically round face, those startling blue eyes, those full pink lips. With the image of Caroline toying with his mind, Klaus knew no other woman would be taking the edge off tonight.

The brunette leaned forward as if to brush her lips against his but Klaus' hand shot up to grip her neck and she froze. Fear flashed in her eyes but Klaus didn't lighten his grip, cocking his head to the side and fixing her with a pensive stare. He wondered if she knew just how dangerous he was.

Struggling to breathe now, the brunette brought both hands up to tug at his, all in vain. It was like a deer trying to fight a wolf. She was moments away from passing out when Klaus let her go, his hand dropping to his side.

Not sparing another glance, Klaus strode out of the room. He hadn't made it far before he saw _her _and for a second Klaus thought he may actually be losing his mind because standing off in a quiet corner by herself was Caroline. Klaus briefly considered the possibility that his vivid imagination had conjured her up but quickly dismissed that idea because the vision before him was better than anything his mind could come up with. His memories and dreams did not do her justice.

Her hair was brighter than he remembered, so silky it begged for a man to run his hands through the soft strands. The simple dress she wore hugged every luscious curve and left her pert chest up like an offering and her long legs bare. Even from a distance, her eyes locked on him and he could see the various emotions flitting through them.

Without thinking about it, Klaus was moving toward her. The closer he came, the more Caroline backed herself into the corner, like a prey being stalked. He reached the spot where she stood but didn't stop, inching closer until Caroline's back was pressed against the wall and their shoes were all but touching.

Up close, her face was almost enough to bring him to his knees. He hadn't seen her in what felt like eons, hadn't even had a picture to go on. All Klaus had were his memories and the portraits he painted and kept hidden away.

Raising both arms, Klaus pressed his hands to the wall on either side of Caroline's head, caging her in. "You're a long way from home, sweetheart."

Staring up at Klaus a mere inch from her face, Caroline had to remind herself to breathe. Then she had to remind herself that breathing wasn't actually a necessity for her. And it turned out breathing was a bad plan all together because it filled her senses with his scent. That intoxicating smell rushed to her head and Caroline found herself opening and closing her mouth a few times before anything came out.

"Hi."

Klaus was caught somewhere between wanting to laugh and wanting to strip her bare right here in this dark corner. Ten years and a whispered 'hi' in that lilting voice was still enough to set Klaus' blood boiling. He hesitated for a millisecond before giving into this urge to touch her, dipping his head and burying his nose in her neck. His lips brushed over the smooth skin there and Klaus felt her pulse jump erratically.

"What are you doing here Caroline?" He whispered into her ear, his tongue darting out to lick the shell of her ear. Klaus told himself it was because the bar was a popular place for vampires quite capable of listening in on their conversation but the truth was he just wanted to be closer to her.

Caroline shivered. "I needed to see you."

Klaus froze, his body going stiff. Those words should have driven him crazy but instead it snapped him back into reality. Needed him. Whenever Caroline 'needed' him, it was never in the way that Klaus wanted.

Pulling back, Klaus put a bit of distance between them though his arms remained held out and trapping her between his body and the wall.

"And what is it that you need, Caroline?" He bit out, his voice taking on a sardonic tone. "A vial of blood to cure a troublesome werewolf bite? Or perhaps you and your gang of misfits have found yourself in yet another bind." Even as he spoke, Klaus knew he'd do whatever she needed.

He wanted to believe he'd be able to tell her no – that he wasn't still so wrapped around her delicate little finger. But Klaus knew that even after all this time, all she had to do was ask and he would succumb to her bidding.

"What is it Caroline?" Klaus asked again when she didn't respond.

She looked up at him with those bright eyes and Klaus waited patiently. "I – I just needed to see you." Caroline finally replied, trailing off toward the end.

"Why Caroline?" He asked, arching one eyebrow. Part of him knew the answer but Klaus was still so reluctant to believe it.

"I don't know." She whispered. Of course, Caroline did know. She just couldn't bring herself to admit it out loud.

Klaus dropped his hands to the side and took another step back. "Tell me why Caroline." He said, watching her with perceptive eyes.

Some might have called Klaus' pursuit of Caroline unhealthy but the truth remained that all he'd ever been was honest about his intent. He hadn't held back and so neither should she. It had taken her this long, the least she could do was say it.

Caroline stood there silently, biting on her lower lip as she stared up at him. Klaus tried to minimalize the effect that had on him, swallowing back the urge to take that plump lower lip between his teeth. Be that as it may, a man could only fight temptation for so long. With impeccable restraint, Klaus turned to walk away from Caroline – away from the very thing he'd been craving for over a decade.

He'd barely taken a step forward when Caroline dashed around him, blocking his path and placing a hand on his chest. That one small touch had Klaus' entire body tensing in anticipation but again he swallowed it back. Klaus had wanted Caroline more than anything else in his very long life – had fought for her harder than he'd fought for anything else. All he needed was to know she wanted him at least a fraction of the way he wanted her – he needed to hear it.

"Yes, Caroline?" Klaus asked, mildly surprised at how steady his voice managed to sound.

Her hand dropped back to her side and Klaus immediately missed the touch. "I came all the way here to see you." Caroline murmured by way of explanation.

Klaus opened his mouth to respond but caught sight of Elijah across the room. He looked over Caroline's shoulder as his older brother beckoned him over, a severe look on his face. Turning his gaze back to Caroline, Klaus asked again.

"And why did you come all the way here to see me?"

Caroline paused again before whispering beneath her breath. "You know why."

Ten years. Ten years of waiting before eventually giving up hope. Ten years of wanting her in vain. And now he was supposed to give in after a simple mumbled 'you know why' – grateful that she'd come at all.

Klaus' jaw locked and he steeled himself for what he intended to do. "No Caroline, I don't." He responded before sidestepping her and striding across the bar to his brother.

Walking away from Caroline was no easy feat and Klaus could feel her stare burning into his back but he kept moving until he reached Elijah and the two left together.

Caroline watched Klaus go, the sinking feeling of rejection settling in her stomach. This had been the outcome she feared the most. Part of her had prepared herself for the possibility that he had moved on and found someone else but she knew that wasn't the case. Caroline could tell by the way he leaned into her, the way he touched her, the way he spoke to her. This was the same man that had pursued her so relentlessly all those years ago and he still wanted her the same way he had back then. But still Klaus had walked away. Because she was too chicken to fess up. She couldn't bring herself to say the words and if Caroline was being perfectly honest with herself, she hadn't thought he'd need her to. Wasn't it enough that she was here?

Even as she thought it, Caroline knew how unfair that was. She'd put him on the back burner for over a decade but still expected him to fall at her feet when she showed up. It didn't matter now. She'd lost her chance. He'd walked away.

* * *

That night Klaus laid in his bed and felt the weight of regret sink in. He'd been so close to having her, could still feel her soft skin on the tips of his fingers, could still smell her sweet scent. Perhaps he'd been wrong to walk away. Perhaps he was asking for too much too soon. She might not need him the way he needed her but that could change with time.

Even as Klaus reasoned with himself, he knew it didn't matter. He wanted Caroline and that would never change. Fuck his pride. Fuck his dignity. She could take it all. Klaus would throw it all away for one little taste of Caroline.

He was wasting time vacillating on what to do – the decision had been made the second she walked into that bar. He might have managed to walk away but Klaus knew there was no chance he'd be staying away. He shot out of bed, walking over to his closet and yanking out a shirt. Moving faster with purpose now, Klaus tugged on his boots before dashing out of his room and down the stairs, his mind already racing to figure out how he could track her down. He owned this town so locating her shouldn't be that hard to do. Unless, of course, she had already left.

Klaus froze for a moment, hit by that possibility. It was 3:00 am, Caroline could be long gone by now. And if that was the case, Klaus wouldn't be able to live with himself knowing he'd thrown away the one shot he had. No, if Caroline had gone then he would simply have to follow her.

Moving faster now, Klaus flung the door open and came to a halt. Standing on his porch, wringing her hands, was Caroline.

Caroline's head shot up when the front door opened. She'd left the bar shortly after Klaus had but Caroline couldn't quite bring herself to leave New Orleans so instead she drove around, giving herself time to think. It hadn't taken her long to realize what she had to do. Klaus had pursued her. He'd chased her once. Made her feel like the single most important thing in his world. She owed it to him to at least try to return the favor.

Finding out where he lived hadn't been hard but working up the courage to ring the bell was difficult in and of itself. Caroline paced back and forth on the large porch, wondering if he would even want to see her, wondering if it was too late at night and if she should come back tomorrow, wondering if she'd finally lost her mind or only just found it. Caroline had been about to retreat with plans to sleep on it and come back tomorrow when one of the large oak double doors swung open to reveal Klaus standing there.

There was a long pause before Caroline finally spoke.

"Hi."

She'd have to come up with a more articulate way to talk to him. Something more substantial than a 'hi'. Caroline didn't have any more time to ruminate on this when Klaus' hand shot out and pulled her into the house. He slammed the door shut behind her before pressing her back against it, caging her between his arms like he had done just a few hours ago at the bar.

Klaus opened his mouth to speak but Caroline waved a hand to cut him off. She needed to get this out before he said anything – before she lost the nerve to admit out loud to both him and to herself why she was standing on his porch at 3:00 am.

"Don't say anything. Just let me talk." Caroline said quickly and Klaus just arched an eyebrow, staring down at her. "You asked me earlier why I needed to see you and the answer is I don't just need to see you I need_you_. I need you in a way that's completely foreign to me – a way that I'm not sure I've ever needed anyone else. And I don't know why." Caroline paused for a second before rambling on. "That's not true, I do know why. It's because you make me feel things that are scary and new and addicting. And because you saw me not just for the person I was but for the person I wanted to be. Because you gave me the courage to go out and see the world – to really _live_. I need you because the look in your eyes when you look at me makes me feel invincible. I need you because when you touch me it's like a high I've never experienced anywhere else. I need you because you're you and I'm me and -"

Caroline didn't get the chance to continue before Klaus lips came crashing down on hers. Her senses reeled at the first electric touch of his mouth on hers, surprisingly soft and then achingly hard and so filled with sexual intent that she trembled. He bit her lips and then licked them better a second later. Klaus explored her mouth with his hot, potent tongue as his firm hand reached up to cup the back of her head in his palm. Twenty years from now, Caroline would still remember this kiss. It was that breathtaking and all-consuming. Klaus' tongue glided almost teasingly across her lips, tracing the outline of them—once, twice, a third time and then once more. Caroline didn't even try to hold back her moan as her arms reached up to wrap around his neck and her legs trembled violently. Her fingers dove into his hair and Klaus made a noise that was part curse, part moan, and enough to send her careening over the edge. As their lips attacked each other, Caroline lowered her hands to splay them out on either side of his chest, digging her fingertips into the soft fabric of shirt, into his skin, and pulling him closer to her body.

Klaus let out a low growl as his hand slid around her throat, and then down to trace across the silk-encased curves of her breasts. Caroline arched against him, desperate for more, and groaned as his stiff length pressed hard into her stomach. Klaus yanked his mouth away from hers and looked down at her face before easing his knee between her legs.

"You have no idea how many ways I'm going to make you come." Klaus murmured in a husky voice, tearing her dress over her head and tossing it to the floor before snatching up both of her wrists in his hand and pinning her arms against the door and above her head.

Caroline let out a low moan at that silky promise. She was desperate to touch him, but he gripped her hands a fraction tighter when she wriggled in an attempt to free them.

Klaus shook his head with a low laugh. "Not yet, sweetheart." He slid his thigh further between her legs and Caroline reveled in the delicious friction.

With his free hand, Klaus pulled the straps of her silk bra down, effectively baring her breasts to his voracious eyes. Caroline gasped and felt her nipples stiffen as she watched him lean his head slightly to one side and stare openly at her body. He rocked his erection harder against her and licked his lips as his ragged breathing belied his apparent cool control. He was every bit as excited as she was.

"So pink." Klaus bent his head to suck each of her nipples in turn, drawing a series of moans from Caroline's throat. She wanted to push her hands into his hair and hold him there, but he wouldn't release her wrists from his much stronger grip. Instead, he started to rock her gently on his thigh. The silk of her panties rubbed against her already soaking core. Backwards. Forwards. Backwards. Forwards. Harder, until she was riding him like a lap dancer on a pole, shameless in her need for him to finish what he'd so skillfully started between her legs.

"There you go, love," he hummed, kissing her throat when she let her head fall backwards against the door. "Let it go. Give in."

Klaus played with her breasts, watching her face for reactions and loving every wanton emotion that flashed across her face. Stroking. Cupping. Rolling her nipples hard enough to send answering shots of desire firing through her body.

"Klaus…" she breathed his name, eyes falling shut. "Klaus…"

He arched an eyebrow as his fingers trailed down the soft curve of her stomach, every touch like a million tiny electric volts dancing across her nerves. That crooked half smirk crossed his lips as she bucked wildly against him. Klaus leaned in and kissed the shell of her ear.

"Tell me what you want me to do, Caroline." She'd already admitted to needing him. Now Klaus wanted to hear just how badly she wanted him. His fingers stroked the along the edge of her panties, making her stomach muscles jump in response. "I won't do it unless you ask me to." He dipped his head again to lick the hollow at the base of her throat.

Caroline knew exactly what she wanted.

"Klaus, please… touch me."

His answering laugh was pure filth. "Not nearly good enough, sweetheart." He cupped one of her breasts in his hands and bent his head. "You have perfect breasts." He licked her nipple and flicked his eyes upwards to her face. Caroline watched his tongue slide over the taut pink nub, mesmerized by what he was doing to her. Her breasts throbbed, and the ache between her legs grew stronger. "Is this what you want, Caroline?"

He slid his fingers down her abdomen and inside her panties, cupping her heat.

Caroline writhed with pleasure. "God, yes. Yes…" she moaned and pushed herself down into his hand.

Klaus straightened and clamped her, vice-like, against his hard body, his hand down her panties and his tongue in her mouth.

"Tell me exactly what you want me to do, love. Say the words."

Caroline hadn't been lying before when she said his touch made her feel high. She had never known lust like this. Easing her legs further apart, Caroline rubbed herself against his fingers. "Spread me," she whispered, and instantly his fingers parted her silky folds. Caroline could feel his warm, strong fingers hovering, ready for orders.

"Touch my clit," she breathed. Klaus looked at her, an expression of lazy triumph alight in his eyes.

"Like this, sweetheart?" He started to stroke her, drawing slow circles on her swollen clit with his thumb.

Caroline shuddered exquisitely and closed her eyes again as the delicious sensations spiraled up through her body. His tongue explored her mouth, his skilled fingers more insistent than ever between her legs.

"God, Klaus." Caroline arched her back, so close to an overwhelming climax that the only thought in her mind was release.

His fingers slid down to her opening, and he rubbed his thumb over her mouth. "Come on Caroline, ask for more. Tell me what you want."

"Put your fingers inside me," she whispered, her heart banging and her desire ratcheting impossibly higher.

Klaus made a guttural sound and moved her forwards on his thigh, then pushed two fingers all the way inside her. Caroline cried out at the intimacy, and Klaus' mouth softened over hers in a surprisingly gentle kiss.

He stroked her tender clit with his thumb, crooking his fingers inside her, and Caroline lost hold of the threads on her control. She felt her release begin at his fingertips, and Klaus' other hand tightened around her wrists to hold her up when her legs went from beneath her. He kissed her through it as her body stiffened, and thrust his fingers deeper into her when she bucked hard against his hand.

"That's it, sweetheart," he whispered, his fingers inside her to the knuckle and his thumb quickening on her clit.

"Christ, I can't wait to be inside you." Klaus muttered, then thrust again. And again. And again, until Caroline lost it completely. She had nowhere to go besides over the top. Tossing her head back in wild, liberated abandon, Caroline cried out.

As the glow of her orgasm wore off, Caroline slid slowly back to reality with Klaus' fingers still moving lazily inside her, and his slow, tantalizing kiss still on her lips as he released her hands. She went limp against him, all but falling into his arms. Caroline had never experienced anything quite like that before. Not even with Tyler who she had loved for a long time. Klaus made her feel powerful and sexy and uninhibited. He made her greedy for more.

Caroline didn't get a chance to speak when Klaus lifted her in his arms, her legs instinctively wrapping around his waist as her arms fell around his neck.

"I'm nowhere near done with you, sweetheart." Klaus whispered into her neck, his teeth biting at the sweaty skin there.

Caroline's head fell forward onto his shoulder and she let out a cross between a moan and a sigh, knowing coming to him had been the best decision she'd ever made.


	37. The Artist and The Graduate: Part Deux

**The Artist and The Graduate: Part Deux**

As a general rule, Caroline didn't make it a habit of waking up in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar men. Though if the lax feeling running through her bones right now was anything to go by, she figured maybe she should do it more often. Caroline's eyes blinked open as she sat up slowly in the unfamiliar bed. Flashes of the night before rushed through her mind. Going to the art showing and everything that had happened after that. Agreeing to go back to Klaus' place. Sweaty limbs tangled up between the sheets. Orgasm after orgasm. She felt her face flush with the memory alone.

Lifting her gaze, Caroline's eyes landed on Klaus. He sat on a stool in front of an easel placed strategically off to the side of the bed. She could see his hand holding a pencil racing back and forth across a canvas paper.

"You know, normal girls might find this a little uncomfortable to wake up to." She said with a light laugh.

Klaus arched an eyebrow, his hand freezing on the page. "But you're not any ordinary girl are you Caroline?"

Not today she wasn't. Today she was a wild and free version of herself. The kind that went home with enticing strangers and didn't mind when she woke to them sketching her the next morning.

"No. Definitely not ordinary." Caroline said as she stood up from the bed pulling the white sheet with her.

Klaus lowered his pencil and watched her approach. Her hair was mussed from when he ran his fingers through it last night, tugging on those silky locks as he buried himself in her. Even with the sheet wrapped around her, Klaus could remember exactly what she looked like beneath it. All smooth skin and luscious curves. He was moments away from pouncing again when Caroline's voice snapped him out of his lust induced haze.

"Can I see?" She asked, even as she walked around the easel to stand behind him, peering over his shoulder.

Klaus watched her face as she took in the sketch. He'd been up at least an hour before Caroline had begun to stir. As she slept she'd looked, angelic was the only word Klaus could think of. Curled on her side with the sheet dipping low enough to hint at the enticing swells of her breasts. Her hair fell slightly over her face, small wisps blowing in the air every time she exhaled. Klaus hadn't been able to resist the urge to get it down on paper - to cement this image for forever. He'd been almost done when she woke up and climbed out of the bed. Not that it mattered, he'd finish from memory later on. There were much more tantalizing ways to spend the morning now that she was awake.

"Do I really look like that when I sleep?" Caroline asked, taking in the gorgeous sleeping figure in the sketch.

"No." Klaus said and Caroline turned her gaze away from the sketch to look at him. "You look better. I couldn't do you justice." His hand toyed with the edges of the sheet and when Caroline slapped his hand away Klaus just smiled.

"You know, I used to dabble in drawing myself. Before I realized I wasn't any good. But I loved art so much I decided to go into art history instead." Caroline said, not entirely sure why she was opening up to him about all of this.

"Would you like to give it a go?" Klaus said, holding the pencil out to her.

Caroline bit contemplatively on her lower lip before snatching the pencil from his hand. "Well it's only fair since you drew me. Move it hotshot." She said gesturing to the bed.

Klaus laughed as he stood from the stool to walk over to the bed.

"Wait." Caroline said and he froze beside the bed. "Shirt off." She said with a teasing smirk.

Klaus threw her a look before pulling his shirt over his head, leaving him standing there in only his pajama pants.

"That's better." Caroline grinned at him as he sat down on the bed.

"Well if I'm to be topless, so are you." Klaus gestured toward the sheet wrapped around her body.

Caroline hesitated for a moment, thinking to herself. Carefree Caroline would have no problem sketching in the nude in front of this man. Besides, it'd be hard to draw while still holding the sheet up, and the easel would cover her for the most part. With a shrug, Caroline let the sheet fall to the ground before climbing onto the stool.

She flipped the page on the giant sketchpad, turning to a blank sheet. It'd been a while since she'd attempted to draw anything. In fact she hadn't really drawn since her freshman year art class and Klaus' sketch of her sleeping would be a tough act to follow. Deciding if it was bad she'd tear it up before he got the chance to see it, Caroline put the pencil to the paper.

Klaus leaned forward so his elbows were propped on his knees, legs spread apart and watched as Caroline began to draw his form. Watching her sleep had been alluring but watching Caroline draw was proving to be fascinating and enticing in its own way. She'd chew on her lower lip, eyes narrowed as she peeked around the easel at him. It didn't help that every time she leaned to the side, Klaus would catch a glimpse of her bare breasts falling forward.

After a few minutes, Caroline had a wide grin on her face as she drew and oddly enough Klaus found that contagious smile even more appealing than the sight of her bare chest. It was clear drawing made her happy and Klaus found himself wondering why she had stopped.

Breaking the silence, Klaus asked. "So why don't you draw anymore?"

Caroline didn't tear her eyes away from the page as she spoke. "I told you - I'm not very good."

"And? Draw for yourself, not for public consumption."

Caroline let out a cross between a laugh and a scoff. "Easy for you to say. The public loves your work."

"What can I say? I'm a bit of a savant." Klaus said with that sinister half smirk she was coming to associate with him.

"And modest to boot." Caroline shot back, shaking her head with a laugh.

"Modesty's overrated."

They fell into a comfortable silence again as Caroline continued to draw. After a while she broke the silence to say, "can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away." Klaus generally didn't respond well to intrusive questions but oddly enough he found himself willing to tell this girl anything she wanted to know. He convinced himself it was the seductive picture she painted, sitting there naked at his easel, that had his guard down.

"Why didn't you hire me?" Caroline asked, her hand pausing over the easel as she looked around it at him.

"I told you." Klaus replied. "Our styles are too different."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, Rembrandt and Dali and baroque and surrealism. What does all that even mean?"

"It's simple really." Klaus said, his eyes trained on her. "Caroline you're…everything I'm not."

As he said the words, it struck Klaus just how true they were. She was everything he wasn't. And yet, somehow she was everything he wanted - everything he never knew he wanted.

The comfortable silence returned as Klaus ruminated on this new found realization. He'd only known her for 24 hours but Klaus had somehow convinced himself that Caroline was different. And maybe she was. Or maybe the sex was so phenomenal it had toyed with his mind. But no, there was something there before he'd even gotten between her legs and experienced the paradise her body had to offer. Something Klaus was trying really hard to ignore.

Shaking his head in an attempt to chase off these wayward thoughts, Klaus grumbled as he spoke. "My body's tense from staying still this long. Is this how all portrait models feel?"

Caroline shrugged, glancing over at him. "I wouldn't know. If you recall, I was pretty unconscious while you drew me."

"Well I'm very much awake." Klaus said, standing and rolling his shoulders. "And I need to move."

He walked over to Caroline, standing behind her and peering over her shoulder at the rough sketch she'd drawn.

"Don't judge me." She said, her tone light as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it love." Klaus said with a laugh, stepping even closer to her until his chest was all but pressed up against her back.

Caroline sucked in a breath at his proximity and Klaus smirked to himself. This girl might be toying with his head but it was clear he had quite the effect on her too.

"Bring the lines in here." He said, reaching his hand out and tracing his fingers over where she had drawn his slumped shoulders.

Caroline erased and re-drew it as he instructed her.

"Heavier shading here." This time he whispered directly into her ear as he pointed at the drawing.

Caroline felt a shiver race down her spine but ignored it as she shaded the area his finger had pointed too.

"Make this more curved." He murmured in her ear again, this time pointing to where she had drawn his elbows on his knees.

"Keep going." Klaus whispered in her ear, biting lightly at it as his hands began to run up and down her bare arms.

Caroline felt her nipples tighten as she sucked in another breath. "You know, this would be easier if you stopped doing that."

"Doing what?" Klaus feigned confusion as he moved his lips to her other ear, giving it the same treatment.

"That." Caroline's voice came out breathless as her hand froze over the page.

Klaus wrapped one arm around her stomach, pulling her back and closer to him. Caroline could feel his erection pressed up against her back and let out a soft moan.

"Do you really want me to stop?" He teased, nipping lightly at the taut skin of her neck.

Caroline's response was quick and breathless. "No."

"I didn't think so." Klaus spun Caroline around on the stool, her legs falling open so he could slide between them.

"It'll be kind of hard to draw this way." She said softly, her free hand running up and down his chest.

Klaus grabbed the pencil from her hand and tossed it aside before wrapping one arm around her waist. His other hand slid into her hair as he drew her face up to his, tilting her mouth to take his kiss. Caroline moaned softly against his lips, feeling her body reacting instantaneously. Klaus' lips went from teasingly gentle to insistent to a full on sensual assault in a matter of seconds, leaving her reeling when he finally lifted his head. His eyes burned into hers and Caroline felt her breath catch in her throat when his hands slid up to cup her breasts. Klaus pinched her nipples into hard nubs, his eyes locked on hers the entire time, loving the pure unadulterated lust that swirled in those blue orbs.

Not wanting to be the only one affected here, Caroline reached down to massage Klaus' crotch. She glanced down at her cleavage, served up to him like food on a platter, her exposed pink nipples erect and begging for his attention. Klaus' eyes drifted closed momentarily as her hands circled his stiff length, then snapped open and locked with hers again. He rocked his cock forward into her hands, wishing his sweats weren't there to form a barrier between his hardened length and her soft hands.

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't stand up," he said softly and almost casually.

"You're all talk." Caroline shot back, her head still tilted back to stare up at him.

Klaus didn't respond, instead he threw her a quick smirk before dipping his head. His hot mouth fastened around one taut nipple and sucked, while his fingers rolled the other hard tip. The shock of it had Caroline crying out, a bolt of lust slashing suddenly through her insides. His free hand slid down between her legs, cupping her sex.

"I'll take that as a challenge sweetheart." He whispered as he parted her slick folds and pushed two long fingers inside her.

Caroline gasped, her hands gripping the edges of the stool to remain steady. His fingers, though only gently teasing, felt amazing and she couldn't help but rock herself against him. Klaus traced a slow finger from one puckered nipple to the other, then dipped his head to claim her mouth, his lips warm and gentle on hers. Last night everything had been fast and hard. Now he was slow and sensual.

"Klaus." His name fell from her lips in an almost breathless plea as Caroline was swept away by everything he was making her feel. If this was what sex was supposed to be like then every guy she had ever been with had been doing it wrong.

Klaus reached down and lifted her clean off the stool, and Caroline wrapped her legs around his waist as his hands cupped her ass. They both groaned in response to the way her core cradled his cock, and he moved her slightly to accommodate him fully between her legs. Klaus was momentarily struck by how perfectly she fit against him. Different – he'd known from the beginning that she was different somehow. His mouth never left hers as he crossed the room to lay her down on the bed. Klaus covered her body with his own, and Caroline sighed with primal satisfaction at his weight over hers.

Caroline hadn't anticipated how incredibly sweet his kiss could be, or how gentle his hands might be as they slid down between her legs. Her hips rocked up against his as Klaus' fingers dove between her folds, plunging in and out as his thumb rubbed her clit. The breath jarred in her throat as Klaus ripped his hand away to tug his sweatpants off. Reaching into the nightstand beside the bed, Klaus pulled out a condom with one hand while the other fondled her heaving breasts.

He ripped the foil packet of the condom with his teeth and sheathed himself, then settled back between her legs with his forearms either side of her head. For a few seconds, Klaus simply settled his body over the length of hers and held her. His head dipped to nip lightly at her neck and Caroline's eyes drifted closed on a soft moan.

"Open your eyes," he murmured as his lips trailed across her cheek. Caroline lifted her lashes, and Klaus' clear blue gaze locked with hers as he tipped his hips slowly, his rock hard length inciting delicious friction back and forth over her clitoris. "Feel good?" A lazy half smile touched his lips.

Caroline bit down on her lip to hold the cry of pleasure inside just to spite him. This man was something else when it came to confidence.

Klaus' thumbs stroked her cheeks as his feather kisses traced her lips and he positioned himself. Caroline clutched shamelessly at him, her fingernails digging arcs into his shoulders almost hard enough to break skin.

His hard cock slid decisively into her and Caroline gave in and cried out his name as he filled her. Each perfectly executed thrust sent lust spiraling higher, tighter, and deeper until the only thing racing through Caroline's mind was the word more. More, more, more. Euphoria mingled with physical pleasure, building with Klaus' every stroke and flawlessly timed thrust. All it took was a few deep strokes and Caroline was boneless and mindless - a pool of heat and desire underneath his mastery. Klaus' smooth hand cupped her face as his other snaked between their already damp bodies, and Caroline gulped in dry air as he thumbed her clitoris in time with his thrusts. Thrust. Stroke. Rub. Thrust. Stroke. Rub. He set up a trinity of motion, and with every repetition he pushed Caroline closer and closer towards the edge.

His eyes still held her gaze, and she could see the effort in his clenched jaw as Klaus held his own pleasure back for hers. His thumb was still steadily stroking her clit, and when his lips lowered to hers his tongue mirrored the movement in her mouth.

"You. Are. Fucking. Amazing," he ground out when he tore his mouth away from hers, punctuating each word with a deeper thrust.

Caroline's fingers curved around his neck as her hips started to buck uncontrollably, and Klaus read her cues well and switched seamlessly from slow and deep to fast and hard. He lowered his head again to catch her lips in a bruising kiss, his tongue in her mouth, his cock buried impossibly inside her. So deep Klaus never wanted to leave. He wanted to stay like this, every part of her wrapped up in him, for as long as possible.

Caroline's orgasm exploded through her body, making her writhe and shudder and jolt beneath him. Klaus threw his head back and pumped his hips, leaving her nowhere to go but further over the edge with him. Bodies slick and the air filled with the sounds of their mutual groans, they moved together in frenzied, primal unison. Klaus couldn't remember ever fucking a woman quite like this. Animal. Feral. Sensational. The word flashed in his mind again – different. His body tensed then shuddered before he collapsed on Caroline.

Klaus rested his forehead against Caroline's, the aftermath of his orgasm still vibrating through his bones. He kissed the tip of her nose, brushing sweaty strands of hair back from her face. With a teasing laugh, Caroline rolled the two of them over until she was straddling him – clearly she had regained her strength faster than he had.

"So about that art lesson you were giving me earlier?" Caroline asked with a mischievous smile as her hips began to rock slowly back and forth.

His cock, still buried inside her, began to harden again almost instantaneously. It was amazing what this woman could do to him. "Yes, what about it?" He asked, bringing his hands up to grip her hips as she rolled and rocked on him.

"Well are we going to finish the lesson?" Caroline asked, her hands rubbing almost idly at his chest.

"Not if you keep that up." Klaus practically growled.

Caroline smirked down at him. "Are you saying you want me to stop?"

"Absolutely not." Klaus shot back quickly.

"That's what I thought." Caroline said with a laugh before she began to ride him more enthusiastically.

The morning disappeared in a haze of sweaty bodies and lust filled groans as the two went at each other again and again leaving very little time in between for resting up. Finally around midday, they both collapsed into a limbless sleep, Klaus pulling Caroline tightly against him.

She arose first, a little over an hour later, and peeked to the side at Klaus' sleeping form. Careful not to wake him, Caroline slipped out of his grasp and climbed out of the bed. She needed to find a bathroom but didn't particularly savor the idea of wandering around Klaus' house. If her memories of last night served, it was big enough that she was likely to get lost. So instead, Caroline tip-toed quietly back over to the easel.

Making sure he was still asleep, Caroline slid onto the stool and picked up the discarded pencil. Tilting her head to the side she took in the sketch quickly before tearing it out and tossing it aside. He'd drawn her asleep so it was only fair that she get the same opportunity. Concentrating harder now without Klaus to distract her, Caroline put all her focus into drawing him. Sprawled out on the bed with the sheet barely covering his lower half, Klaus made quite the picture. She worked quickly and quietly, hoping that their morning activities had been enough to keep him knocked out for an hour or two more.

When she was done, Caroline grinned widely at the rough sketch. She was no artist but it didn't take a real artist to make Klaus' naked sleeping form look good – he did that all on his own. Standing from the stool, Caroline looked around for her clothes from last night, tugging them on though she never did locate her panties. Somewhere in the back of her mind she remembered him tearing them off downstairs. Once she was dressed, Caroline tip-toed back over to the easel. Flipping the page back, she stared at the incomplete sketch of her sleeping form with a smile before tearing it from the large book.

With a final glance at Klaus still sleeping, Caroline folded the page in half before leaving with a smile.

* * *

_**I know there are a few other drabbles I need to do continuations to so just let me know which one/s you want to see done next and I'll prioritize from there. **_


	38. The One Where He Loses Her

**The One Where He Loses Her**

Feeling as if she was waking from a long sleep, Caroline blinked rapidly as she tried to clear her foggy mind. Every bone in her body ached as she moved to a sitting position on her bed, belatedly realizing she wasn't quite sure when or how she'd ended up back in her bedroom.

Caroline rubbed at her temples, letting out a low groan. She remembered going to the Salvatore boarding home. She remembered Damon telling her he'd gotten the cure but Elena was refusing to take it. She remembered going down to the cellar to confront her friend – or what was left of her inside that dehumanized shell.

Caroline moved to lean back against the headboard of the bed, a hand still clutching her head. She rolled her shoulders, sucking in a deep breath as the memories continued to filter through the fog. Caroline knew she and Elena had gotten into an argument that had quickly escalated to a physical fight. She had had more than enough of no humanity Elena and Caroline was more than willing to shove the cure right down her friend's throat if necessary. That had been precisely what Caroline had intended to do when she had Elena pinned back against the cellar wall. Only, footsteps racing behind her momentarily distracted Caroline. Stefan whooshed into the room just as Caroline turned her head to face the cellar door. That brief moment of hesitation was all it took.

Gasping louder now, Caroline's entire body tensed as the memory of Elena snatching the cure and forcing it into her mouth flashed through her mind.

"No." The word was uttered softly as the fog finally started to roll back from Caroline's mind.

She felt sluggish and limp. She felt weak.

"No." The whisper that time had barely left Caroline's mouth when her mother came racing through the bedroom door.

Liz crossed the room in four long strides and perched herself on the edge of the bed. "Caroline, you're awake." The relief in her voice was loud and clear and Caroline wondered just how long she had been out.

"What happened?" Her voice came out hoarse as Caroline took in her mother's frazzled appearance. Liz Forbes was a woman of boundless control – she didn't do frazzled.

"How do you feel?" Her mother asked, putting a hand to Caroline's cheek. "You're burning up."

"I'm fine." Caroline said, shaking her head again to chase away the cobwebs. "I just need some water."

Reaching a hand out to the bedside table, Liz lifted a glass of water and passed it to her daughter. After downing the whole thing in one gulp, Caroline asked again.

"What happened?" It didn't matter that she already knew the answer. Caroline needed to hear someone say it – needed proof that it hadn't been just some hellish nightmare.

"Caroline," Her mother's tone had changed from one of relief to an almost blissful one. "You're human again." Her hand gripped Caroline's as she whispered a soft, "my baby."

When Caroline didn't respond, Liz asked with furrowed eyebrows, "what is it?"

"Nothing." Caroline's voice was barely loud enough for her mother to hear. "I just need to sleep."

She hadn't done anything but sleep for the past 48 hours but Liz was not about to argue with Caroline. It wasn't as if there was some handbook on vampires turning human again.

"Okay." She muttered with a soft smile, patting her daughter's hand one last time before standing and walking from the room.

Caroline laid back down and curled on her side. She was human. Again. And she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that. Sleep never came and instead Caroline stared off at bedroom wall. It was the exact same wallpapering it had been since the 6th grade. In fact, her entire room was exactly the same now as it had been before her vampire transformation. Would her life go back to being the same too? The thought didn't appeal to Caroline as much as it had when she first turned. Back then, if you offered her the cure Caroline would have leapt for it. But now – she didn't know what to feel. So instead she felt nothing.

Hours passed before the door creaked open again and Liz approached the bed with a dinner tray in hand.

"You need to eat." Liz said as she sat down on the bed.

Yes she did, Caroline belatedly realized. She was a human again. Food wasn't just for fun – it was sustenance. She sat up in the bed and pulled the tray closer before turning her gaze to her mother again.

The two stared at each other in silence for a while before Liz finally spoke. "How are you feeling…about all this?"

Caroline looked away, reaching for the spoon on the tray. "I don't know." Was the only response she could give. Because she really didn't know.

Liz watched her daughter eat in silence for a minute before asking the question that had been nagging at her ever since Stefan had brought Caroline to her doorstep and explained what happened. "You aren't thinking of becoming one of them again are you?"

Caroline swallowed back a scoff at the way her mother said 'them'. She knew her mom cared about Damon and Stefan and Elena but they were still vampires and deep down it would always be an 'us versus them'. Her mother had come to accept what Caroline was (or rather _had _been) but her love had never been quite the same.

"Are you?" Liz asked again, the stress creeping into her voice now.

Caroline would be lying if she said she hadn't considered it once or twice over the last few hours. It would be easy enough to get one of the Salvatore's to feed her their blood. Dying again might be unpleasant but she'd wake up again. Vampire Caroline 2.0. Plus, with her enhanced abilities back she'd be able to kick Elena's ass. Still, it wasn't a decision Caroline was going to make lightheartedly or impulsively.

"Caroline you can't seriously be considering this?" Her mother asked, her lips turned down into a frown.

Throwing the spoon down with a clack, Caroline turned her gaze back to her mother. "Would that be so bad? I thought we were in a good place with me being a vampire. And I was better. I was faster and stronger. I could protect you. Protect us both." She clutched her mother's hand in hers, almost begging her to understand.

"Don't think about what you've lost, Caroline." Her mother said, throwing her an imploring look. "Think about what you've gained. You're a human again. We can spend a lifetime together, the way it was supposed to be."

"We can still spend a lifetime together." Caroline said, moving to crouch on her knees.

"And what kind of life would we have?" Liz asked, throwing Caroline a look. "We'd spend our lives moving, living like nomads. We could never stay in one place too long or people might start to wonder just why you looked eternally seventeen. Not to mention the trouble that the supernatural attracts. If you stay human, you won't need your speed or strength to protect us because we won't need protecting!"

Caroline sucked in a breath as she took in her mother's words. Truth be told, she hadn't ever considered how they would tackle the aging problem in the future. She spent so much time wondering if they'd all live to the end of the month let alone the next few years, so the distant future never really crossed her mind. Before Caroline could say anything, her mom was speaking again.

"We could get out of here, Caroline. We could go somewhere and start over without all of this mess." Liz said, fixing Caroline with a stare as she stood up from the bed. "Think about it." She left, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

And 'think about it' was exactly what Caroline did. Ignoring all phone calls, she holed herself up in her room for a week and contemplated, for all intents and purposes, her existence. By the end, the argument her mother made had proved to be all to convincing. She'd spent the last year and half living on the edge of danger that Caroline could hardly remember what a carefree day felt like. If she left it all behind, she and her mother could go back to the way things were. It'd never be exactly the same but Caroline wouldn't fear for their lives on a regular basis and that was certainly a plus. Besides – Bonnie was dead, Elena wanted to kill her and Stefan had his hands full trying to save her. Now was as good a time as any to start over.

* * *

So start over is exactly what they did; moving to Portland, Oregon and into a nice little house in a nice, quiet neighborhood. Caroline went to Reed College and her mom worked at a shooting range and they were Liz and Caroline Forbes, the sweet mother daughter pair that moved into the blue house down the street.

A little over two months later, Caroline had just parked her car across the street when she noticed a figure sitting on her porch swing. Even without her vampire enhanced senses, Caroline could tell exactly who it was. She crossed the street slowly, letting out an internal sigh of relief that her mother was working late tonight. If Liz caught even the slightest hint of trouble catching up to them, she'd whisk them away in a heartbeat and Caroline was rather enjoying her time at Reed.

She ascended the front steps slowly, her gaze locked on familiar blue eyes. "Well, there goes the neighborhood." Caroline said with an exaggerated sigh as she came to a stop in front of him.

Klaus took in Caroline's appearance with a smile as he stood up. Part of him had almost expected her to look different somehow. But no, she was as breathtaking as she'd always been.

Ignoring her quip, Klaus said, "you know when I told you there was a world out there waiting, I didn't quite expect you to start in Portland." He said, gesturing with his hands.

"Yeah well, you may not have heard but some things have changed since then. Got a haircut, started school, took a cure. You know, the usual things." Caroline said with a shrug.

The smile fell from Klaus' face. Yes, he had heard about how Elena had forced the cure on Caroline. It was a crime for which Klaus was sure she'd pay – extensively and painfully. By the time Klaus had returned to Mystic Falls, Caroline was gone and the Salvatores had vanished with Elena. The little witch was dead so he didn't even have anyone to use for leverage. But what he did have was a widespread range of contacts and he'd find them. And when he did, Elena Gilbert was going to suffer for a very long time.

Snapping back to reality, Klaus nodded towards the textbooks Caroline held in the crook of her arm. "How are the classes going?" He asked.

"You didn't come all the way here to ask me about college life did you?" Caroline shot back, arching an eyebrow.

Klaus just laughed. "No I suppose not."

"So why did you come?" Caroline asked. She didn't have time for casual pleasantries.

"Well to see you of course." Klaus replied as if the answer should have been obvious.

Caroline gestured out with her free hand. "Well, you've seen me. Now you should go before my mom gets back."

"And are you happy?" Klaus asked, locking eyes with her and making no motions to move.

Caroline paused, momentarily overwhelmed by his penetrating stare, before responding. "Surprisingly yes." No had tried to attack or kill her in months. No one had died around her or because of her. She'd almost forgotten what a normal life was like and it was oddly refreshing. "Though I can only imagine what you think of being human again." Caroline said sardonically.

Klaus' eyes trailed over her face. "I may not understand your decision but I respect it." She looked happy. And her life seemed…safe.

They stared at each other in silence and for the first time in the months since she'd become a human again, Caroline felt her heart racing at a pace it could never achieve while she'd been a vampire.

"Well, you should go." Caroline finally broke the silence, stepping around him and to her front door. She slid the key into the lock, before spinning around again. Klaus had already jogged down the porch steps when she called out his name. "Don't go after Elena, okay." Caroline said when he turned around to face her. "I've moved past what she did so you should too."

"What makes you think I was going to go after Elena?" Klaus asked with a straight face, hands clasped behind his back.

Caroline just arched an eyebrow, throwing him a skeptical look. "Well _if _you were. Don't." She turned around, twisting the knob and swinging her front door open.

"Caroline."

She froze when he called her name, waiting a beat before spinning around again.

"If you ever change your mind." Klaus held a hand up, glancing quickly at his wrist and Caroline knew exactly what he was suggesting. She didn't respond, just threw him a small smile before walking into her house and shutting the door.

* * *

Caroline would be lying if she said she'd never thought about his offer once or twice over the years. But she liked her life. She married her college sweetheart Evan and moved to Seattle. She had a job that she loved, teaching 3rd grade. And when she was 27 and lost her mother to a stroke, Caroline took solace in the fact that she was about to start a new family with Evan. A few months later, little Jackson Cole Baumann was born. And every little toe and finger on his tiny body was enough to make Caroline grateful she'd ended up with the cure. It had been hard to understand at the time, barely eighteen and with a world of other problems, but having a kid was joy Caroline didn't want to miss out on. She loved her son more than anything or anyone in the world.

Her life was shaping up to be everything she could have hoped for until Caroline was diagnosed with stomach cancer when she was 36. That was the first time in years that she even contemplated Klaus' offer to turn her again. It would be so easy to rid herself of the disease. Caroline could practically picture the vampire blood overtaking the cancerous cells. She'd be good as new. But when Caroline looked at Jackson's face, she couldn't do it. She couldn't imagine bringing that danger into his life and where vampires went trouble followed. And more than that, she couldn't imagine explaining to him that his mother had become one of the big bad monsters he feared at night. She couldn't imagine him growing older while she was stuck in time and eventually dying before her. So Caroline convinced herself that she could fight it on her own, the human way. With advanced technology and all sorts of medical research trials, she could beat this. Besides, this is what it meant to be human – to survive.

By the time she realized she wouldn't survive this it was too late. There was no one coming to rescue her. There was no time.

During those last few days, Caroline almost believed Klaus would come – to the point where she could even feel him at times. In the wee hours of one morning, Caroline was visited by a particularly vivid hallucination.

"It's about damn time." Caroline said with a cough as that familiar face came to loom over hers.

She squinted into the bright light as Klaus perched beside her on the bed. The apparition didn't speak, only tilted his head to the side and continued to watch her with keen eyes.

"You know they say you're supposed to feel at peace beforehand. A complete load of shit. I don't feel the least bit peaceful." Caroline muttered, coughing again to clear her dry throat.

Still silent, Klaus slid closer, pulling Caroline into his arms, a hand stroking her sweaty hair.

"I guess that's better." Caroline let out with a grumble. It was a lot better. Tucked into his arms, this was the first time she felt at ease since she'd gotten the diagnosis.

"I'm sorry I never came." She muttered softly into his chest. "Nothing like dying to make you rethink your choices." Caroline said with a bitter laugh. "Though I had a nice life I guess. I had Evan. We weren't exactly the most passionate couple but what we had was nice. Stable. And Jackson. Jackson's amazing. Too smart for his age. You'd like him, I think." Caroline kept mumbling into his chest as Klaus' hand stroked repeatedly through her hair.

"I'm getting pretty tired now." She whispered as her eyes drifted close, her fingers clutching his shirt. "But don't go anywhere. Promise me. Promise."

The hallucination spoke for the first time, murmuring into her ear. "I promise."

With a sigh of relief, Caroline fell asleep in his arms and didn't wake up the next morning.

* * *

_Here lies Caroline Forbes. Loving wife and mother. You will be missed._

Klaus' body was rigid as he took in the tombstone. An entirely unimaginative tombstone for a woman who had been bursting with imagination. He hadn't expected it to feel this way – losing her. Though she'd never really been his to lose.

Klaus had always believed that when she was ready, Caroline would come to him – that she would chose an immortal life and chose to spend it with him. The years passed and he kept tabs on Caroline from a distance, always wholeheartedly believing their time would come eventually. It never bothered him that she was getting older, true beauty was ageless. But she had never come. And then it was too late. She'd lived the human life she had wanted and all it had amounted to was three short sentences. _Here lies Caroline Forbes. Loving wife and mother. You will be missed._

Klaus should have shoved his blood down her throat and snapped her neck that day all those years ago on her porch. She never would have forgiven him but she would still be alive right now and he wouldn't have this growing pit in his chest. Klaus was a selfish man, always had been and always would be. The only time he'd been unselfish was with Caroline…and look at where that had gotten them.

"You're a cruel woman." Klaus' voice was hard as he glared down at the tombstone. Perhaps it was bad luck to insult the dead but he couldn't find it in himself to care. In fact, he'd count himself lucky if Caroline's ghost decided to haunt him. At least then he wouldn't have to be without her. "A cruel and unforgiving woman." He spat. "I waited for you Caroline. I would have given you the world."

And now he never would.

Before Klaus could continue, he heard soft footsteps behind him. For a very brief moment, he thought it could be Caroline – someway, somehow. For that brief moment, he could feel her beside him. But the moment passed as quickly as it had come.

The footsteps drew closer until someone came to a stop beside Klaus.

Turning his head to the side and looking down, Klaus' eyes landed on a head of curly blonde hair. Hair exactly like _hers_.

"Did you know my mom?" The voice was soft spoken and when the boy turned to look up at Klaus, he immediately recognized those glittering blue eyes.

The kid was the spitting image of Caroline.

"A lifetime ago." Klaus finally replied. He could almost see Caroline in those bottomless blue orbs.

"You must miss her too." The kid said, turning his gaze away from Klaus to look back at the tombstone.

Klaus didn't respond. The word 'miss' didn't quite cover the range of emotions Klaus had been experiencing since he found out Caroline had died.

"Where's your father kid?" Klaus asked, clasping his hands behind his back and looking down at the tiny human.

The kid nodded off to the side. "Over there."

Klaus looked to where he had motioned, spotting a man sitting on a bench and speaking rather heatedly into his cellphone. So this was the man Caroline had chosen to spend her typical human life with. And the man radiated 'typical'. He was as uninteresting as the words he'd chosen to put on her tombstone. And he certainly couldn't have given her the things Klaus could – couldn't have loved her the way he would have. She would have been a queen. Not another Stepford suburban housewife.

But the truth was, Klaus could have loved suburban housewife Caroline. If that was what she wanted, he would have loved her anyway. He'd take Caroline any way he could have her. Only, now he'd never have the chance.

Something sparkled in the sunlight and Klaus looked down at the child again. "What do you have there?" He asked, nodding toward the kid's right hand.

The boy lifted his hand and held up a bracelet that glittered in the sun. Klaus would have recognized that piece of jewelry anywhere. He'd painstakingly chosen it.

"It's my mom's favorite bracelet." The kid said softly. "My dad said she'd want it with her in Heaven." He didn't look at Klaus as he knelt down to place the bracelet alongside the bouquet of flowers that sat in front of the tombstone.

Klaus was about to ask the kid more about the bracelet when a voice rung out from across the cemetery.

"Jackson!" The man who'd been on the phone earlier gestured out to him.

"I have to go." The kid said, standing up quickly. He started to walk away but paused and turned around to face Klaus again. "She said when the time came, we were supposed to let her go. I know it's hard but Dad says it gets easier with time."

Klaus watched Caroline's son turn and run off, the words bouncing around in Klaus' head. Let her go. It didn't seem likely to Klaus. Time was something he had an abundance of and maybe it would get easier. But time was a double edged sword. He had an eternity to face and in all that time, there would never be another Caroline.


	39. The One Where He Gives to Her

**The One Where He Gives to Her **_Smut warning_

Caroline Forbes didn't celebrate birthdays. Not in a long time, anyway. Not since her mother passed away on what would have been Caroline's 29th birthday, if she hadn't been eternally trapped in a filler year. When it happened, Caroline hadn't seen or spoken to her mother in almost a decade. The two had had a falling out when Caroline had succumbed to her feelings for a certain original hybrid. Liz had given her daughter an ultimatum, her family or Klaus. Caroline had chosen Klaus. It wasn't that she regretted her choice, he was her family now, but Caroline had wished she'd found a way to come to terms with her mom before she died, and on Caroline's birthday no less. She'd snuck back into Mystic Falls for the funeral, decked out in sunglasses and a large floppy hat lest anyone see her and wonder why she should be almost 30 but still looked 17. Caroline had stood off in the distance and watched as her mother's deputy gave the eulogy before she was lowered into the ground. After that, birthdays lost what little appeal they had left and Caroline chose to never celebrate it again.

And Klaus had capitulated to this rule. Until now.

Caroline awoke to the feel of smooth lips trailing across her stomach and opened her eyes just as Klaus dipped his tongue into her navel, the smirk clear in his eyes as he glanced up at her. He played there for a moment as sleep left Caroline's body and restless movements took its place as a familiar burning need rose in her. Happy he had her attention now, Klaus kissed his way down her abdomen and then over to one hip where he worshiped her delectable skin with sweet, gentle kisses. From there, he ran his tongue slowly down her toned leg, to the smooth inside of her thigh and dangerously close to her pussy. With a wicked grin, Klaus stopped just short of delving into that slick flesh. The sigh of frustration that echoed from Caroline only made him smile wider.

Fangs dropping, Klaus sank his teeth lightly into the inside of her thigh and then followed it up with a soothing swipe of his tongue, savoring the drop of blood that slid down her thigh. Caroline let out a soft moan as Klaus ventured lower, grazing his sharp teeth down the inside of her leg before pausing at her knee, lifting her leg to nip at the sensitive flesh there. Caroline reached down to bury her fingers in his hair but Klaus evaded her grasp, moving lower still to her ankle. As he toyed with her, Caroline writhed beneath him but Klaus just let out a low laugh before switching legs and beginning the torment all over again, working his way back up.

Caroline was more than ready to take matters into her own hands when Klaus took hold of her ankles and pushed forward, bending her legs so her feet were planted on the bed and then spreading them as he knelt between her thighs. His grin was nothing short of wolfish as Klaus took in the sight of Caroline splayed wide open to him - his for the taking- the soft, pink flesh of her pussy glistening in the morning light. Lifting her right leg so her foot rested against his shoulder, Klaus reached and trailed a finger down the slick seam of her pussy and then slid it slowly inside, feeling the snug tissues clench around him. Savoring the soft mewling sounds Caroline was making, Klaus leaned down and licked from her dripping entrance to her clit in one rough swipe that had her bowing off the bed on a loud groan.

Lowering his body to the bed with Caroline's leg still slung over his shoulder, Klaus began a rhythm of slow, insistent strokes over her slick folds. Reaching for him again, this time Caroline was successful in burying her fingers in his hair, using her grasp to pull his face closer as her hips bucked up to meet his mouth. His fingers slid inside her, pressing against her clit as his mouth continued its mind-numbing maneuvers around her pussy. Breathless with pleasure, Caroline lowered her eyes to watch him worship her. Sensing she was close, Klaus' eyes flickered up and connected with hers as he held her in his mouth while she drew closer to her climax. Without breaking eye contact, Caroline's body twisted and writhed before her nerves short-circuited and she came, still bucking against his mouth.

As Caroline struggled to catch her breathe, Klaus lowered her leg from his shoulder before sliding back up her body, placing sporadic soothing, and gentle kisses along the way. When he reached her lips, he dropped a quick peck there before pulling away to look down at Caroline who was still breathing heavy.

"Happy birthday, love." He said softly, a self-satisfied grin in place. Nothing made Klaus happier than to see that post-climax, dazed look in Caroline's eyes.

Breathe steady now, Caroline shook her head with a small smile. "You know how I feel about birthdays."

"I know." Klaus said, trailing his lips across her jaw. "And after thirty years, I'm endeavoring to change that." He dropped another quick kiss on her lips before shooting off the bed.

It was then that Caroline noticed he was already fully dressed and must have been up for a while now.

"Get dressed, sweetheart." He said with an elusive grin. "And consider that your first gift." Klaus said with a laugh before strolling out of the room.

Caroline huffed once before finding the energy to climb out of the bed. As she showered, Caroline wondered where Klaus' sudden interest in celebrating birthdays had come from. Not only had she not celebrated hers in the last thirty years but Klaus _never _celebrated his. To this day, Caroline still didn't even know when his birthday was. Maybe time and numerous lives lived had erased the memory of his birthday or maybe even as a human it wasn't a date Klaus was aware of or celebrated. Either way, if he knew he sure wasn't telling.

When she was ready, Caroline jogged down the stairs to find Klaus waiting by the door for her.

"Ready love?" He asked, keys jingling in his hand.

She threw him a wary look, cocking her head to the side. "For what exactly?"

"You've neglected your birthday so long, you've forgotten the beauty of surprise sweetheart." Klaus said with a smirk as he took her hand and pulled her outside.

With the window rolled down, Caroline watched as the streets of Monaco whizzed by. She'd been completely enchanted by the city when they'd arrived here six years ago but like she did with all the places before, Caroline was growing tired of her surroundings and was eager for a change. She just hadn't decided how to broach the subject with Klaus yet.

Caroline hadn't asked again where Klaus was taking her but once they reached a private dock, it was pretty obvious what his surprise had been. Sitting amongst the rows of luxury yachts was one with the name Caroline emblazoned across it in gold.

Klaus climbed out of the car and Caroline followed suit, both walking closer to the large yacht.

"You got me a boat?" Caroline asked, turning her head to grin at Klaus.

For a second, Klaus stood there and watched that captivating smile, made only more enchanting by the wind whipping strands of hair across her face, before finally replying. "I thought it was time we took to the open road again. Or rather, the open sea. We can sail down the French Riviera, eventually work our way over to the Greek islands. Anywhere you want, love."

He'd barely finishing speaking before Caroline threw herself into his arms. It was one of the things she'd come to love most about Klaus over the years. He always knew what she needed, sometimes before she even knew it. Caroline had needed a new adventure and he'd handed her one on a silver platter.

Before he could get lost in Caroline, Klaus pulled away and led her onto the boat. Giving her the grand tour, Klaus walked Caroline through the cabins that served as bedrooms, the dining room, the whirlpools and saunas. Honestly, she would have been happy with just a rinky-dinky sailboat but Klaus clearly had other ideas and Caroline didn't want to imagine the fortune he'd dropped on such a lavish yacht.

Pausing in one of the cabins, Klaus opened a dresser and pulled out a rectangle, velvet box. Smiling as he turned around, he gradually opened the lid as he held it out to Caroline. Inside, on a bed of silk, sat a diamond chandelier necklace that Caroline was fairly certain belonged amongst the royal jewels of some foreign country.

"Happy birthday, love." Klaus repeated for the umpteenth time that day.

Reaching a cautious hand forward, Caroline fingered the jewels before locking eyes with Klaus again. "You've already gotten me a gift. Two if we're counting this morning's activities." She pointed out with a trademark half-smirk that she had picked up from him.

Klaus threw his head back and laughed. "You've missed out on thirty birthdays, sweetheart. That means I've got quite a few gifts to make up for."

At first Caroline had thought he was joking but as the day progressed, Klaus pulled various gifts from every corner of the yacht. Paintings and jewelry and gadgets and gowns. It was overwhelming to the point where Caroline found herself crying happy tears sporadically throughout the day. For the past thirty years, this had been just another day and now Caroline couldn't foresee having her future birthdays without thinking of this day.

And Klaus knew it too. He knew the bad memories Caroline associated with her birthday and his goal had been to create new memories for her. Ones that would make her eager to celebrate her birthday. Still, even as Caroline grinned across the table at him as they ate, Klaus knew his work wasn't done just yet. He may have given her precious new memories but Caroline still had to put some old memories to rest.

After hours spent on the yacht, a good deal of that time spent christening all the rooms in a very delectable fashion, Klaus led a tired Caroline back out to the car. She had counted 29 gifts and assumed that Klaus had either forgotten the last one or he really was counting this morning's orgasm as her first gift. Either way, it didn't really matter to Caroline. She had more than enough and she would have been just as happy with only him.

Yawning a little, Caroline shut her eyes, assuming he was taking them home. When she opened them again, they were at an air field, a small plane waiting in the distance.

"What are we doing here?" Caroline asked as she climbed out of the car, throwing Klaus a confused look.

He jogged around the car before taking Caroline's hand and leading her closer to the plane. "We've got to make a quick pit stop before we start on our next adventure." He replied smoothly, throwing her a grin over his shoulder.

"What kind of a pit stop requires a flight?" Caroline asked as he led her onto the plane.

Klaus didn't respond, instead motioning for Caroline to sit while he went into the cockpit to talk to the pilot. By the time he came back out, Caroline had fallen asleep in her seat. Sitting beside her and pulling her pliant body into his arms, Klaus spent the eight hour flight just watching her breath. When they landed, Klaus carried the still sleeping Caroline out to a waiting car. By the time she woke up, they had already reached their destination.

Eyes blinking open after a deep sleep, Caroline was convinced that she was still dreaming. Limbs still weary from sleep, Caroline wobbled out of the car and stood on the street. Even after all this time, it wasn't a street she'd ever forget. Still a little dazed and momentarily forgetting about Klaus, Caroline wondered up the steps to her front porch. If this was a dream, she may as well enjoy it. Except it couldn't be a dream because the house wasn't exactly as she remembered it. There was a fresh coat of paint on the house, covering up the scratches Caroline remembered so clearly. The one squeaky floorboard has somehow lost its squeak. The wooden rocking chair sitting by the door wasn't the exact one from Caroline's memory, though it was a good replica. Without thinking, Caroline tried the front door and when it swung open she walked right in, no invitation necessary.

Standing in the foyer, Caroline looked around at the house. This wasn't right. The place should be nothing short of decrepit after thirty plus years of neglect. But everything seemed shiny and new.

It was then that Caroline saw Klaus cross over the threshold into the house.

"What…" Was all she could manage, still not entirely convinced that she wasn't still on the plane dreaming.

"I had it restored." Klaus said, his fingers gliding along the wooden table by the door. "It's your final gift, love."

Caroline paused, twirling around once before facing him again. "We shouldn't be here." She whispered, though unable to move from the spot she was rooted to.

"Caroline, anyone who might have known you is well into their senile years or dead by now. No one is going to recognize you. Besides, the house is in the name of Cassandra Forbes, your supposed daughter who happens to be the spitting image of her mother."

Silence descended for a moment before Caroline responded. "We still shouldn't be here."

Klaus sighed. He couldn't very well force her to face her past. "I didn't get much sleep on the flight. Give me some time to rest and I'll make the arrangements for us to leave right after."

Caroline paused before nodding. Klaus held out a hand to her and she took it, following him up the stairs to her old bedroom. Once inside, Caroline had immediate flashbacks to the last time Klaus had been in her bedroom, on her birthday saving her life, telling her all about the world that he would eventually show her.

Tugging his shirt over his head, Klaus laid down on the bed and motioned for Caroline to join him. She did so willingly, curling up in his arms and laying her head on his chest. Having already gotten more than enough sleep, Caroline watched in silence as Klaus drifted off. It was long after his chest had begun a slow and steady rise and fall that Caroline slid out of his arms, scooting slowly off the bed. She glanced over her shoulder once at him before tiptoeing out of the room.

Racing down the stairs, Caroline snatched up the car keys where Klaus had left them on the entrance table and darted out the door to the car. She tried to tell herself she was just going for a drive to clear her head but Caroline knew what her destination would be all along. When she reached the cemetery, Caroline parked the car and sat there for ten minutes before finally climbing out.

As she wondered through the headstones, Caroline let out a dark laugh, thinking to herself how many people found themselves at a cemetery on their birthday not once but twice.

She found what she was looking for fairly quickly.

_Elizabeth Forbes. Loving mother, dedicated townswoman, we will never forget your sacrifices nor your triumphs. _

Falling to her knees, Caroline moved to sit cross-legged in front of the large headstone. After a prolonged silence, she finally spoke.

"Hey mom." She breathed out softly. "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner."

Not knowing what to say next, Caroline reached out to trace the words on the headstone with one finger.

"You probably died thinking that I still hated you but I didn't. I never did, really." She paused, her hand dropping back to her side. "We were just so different, ya know? But I always loved you. And it's okay, I know you loved me too." Caroline let out another deep breath, drumming her fingers on the grass beneath her. "You should see the house. It's in good shape. Like you never left." Caroline said, remembering the pride her mom had always taken in the ancestral home.

As she rambled on about nothing and everything, Caroline felt a weight lift off her heart – a weight she hadn't even realized was there. Her mind raced to an earlier thought – Klaus always knew what she needed, sometimes before she even knew it.

"You would have grown to like him…eventually." Caroline said, her fingers idly plucking grass. "He's good to me. And I know if you're up there watching me, seeing how happy he's made me, you would have forgiven me. Just like I've forgiven you for making me choose." She sighed, her fingers dancing across her mother's name written in italics on the tombstone. "Bye mom."

With that Caroline stood, brushing off her jeans before turning to head back to the car.

When Klaus woke up, Caroline was gone, not just from the bed but from the house entirely. Normally a disappearance like that would have Klaus worried but he had a rather good guess as to where she had gone. He'd been up for less than twenty minutes when the door opened and a few minutes later Caroline appeared in front of him in the bedroom.

She stared at him for a moment before saying, "thank you."

Klaus just grinned at her. "It was my pleasure. We can leave as soon as you're ready, fly back to Monaco and set sail."

"Let's stay for a few days." Caroline said as she sauntered closer to him with a seductive grin on her face now. When she reached him, she wrapped both arms around his neck and jumped, Klaus catching her in his arms as she tightened her legs around his waist. "Ya know, if you consider the time difference, it's technically still my birthday."

Klaus just smirked, moving closer to the bed. "Then I guess we should continue celebrating." He threw her down onto the bed before landing on top of her.

Caroline let out a loud laugh, happy to end the day the same way it had started.


End file.
